Creek Fire: 'Fire wives' raise money for volunteer firefighters whose homes were burned down

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The flames of the Creek Fire didn't discriminate in their destruction.

They destroyed homes that belonged to the very crews trying to save other people's properties.

Now-fire wives from across the Valley are coming together to help replace what several volunteer firefighters have lost.

"They lost it all and a lot of them are stuck without that backup safety net," says Brooke Schuller.

Schuller is married to a Central Valley firefighter and says she and other fire wives from the area are coming together to raise money for at least a dozen volunteer Shaver Lake area firefighters whose homes were reduced to rubble.

One of those who'd get help is Assistant Chief of the Shaver Lake volunteer fire department James Parr, who was out working with the crew when the flames came through his neighborhood, destroying his home.

"It was unexpected and it was absolutely devastating - the flames were angry and had a purpose," says Parr.

Parr says he and several of his fellow volunteer firefighters lost their homes but they didn't lose sight of their goal.

"It's tough, it's tough for everybody, but I'm a firefighter. I will focus on everyone in my community," he says.

Schuller says they're raising money to help firefighters like Parr by selling signs and T-shirts.

It's a community-wide effort as Shawn Rice with Artworks Screen Printing in Clovis helped create the design that comes with a message of perseverance and sacrifice.

"They lost their home while helping others, that's the message we need to put out there to rally around these folks and help them," says Rice.

Schuller says the fire family sticks together and hopes this will raise enough to help Parr and many others rise from the ashes.

The group put in their first order of more than 30 shirts on Wednesday and will donate 100% of the proceeds to the individual firefighters that lost their homes.

To find about more about purchasing a shirt or sign, click here.

There's also a GoFundMe that would help the Shaver Lake fire department replace destroyed equipment.