Veteran who lost home in Pinebrooke Fire is staying positive

Veteran recovers after home burns in Pinebrooke Fire

Ninety-year-old veteran Jerry Noland is recovering after his home was destroyed in the Pinebrooke Fire. He lived in the home for nearly 40 years. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas has the story.

FLORENCE, Ariz. - A 90-year-old veteran lost his home of 40 years in the Pinebrooke Fire near Florence.

Veteran Jerry Noland had his entire property destroyed, but he is staying positive despite the devastation.

His caregiver is also carrying Noland's burden as they adjust to starting over.

The brush fire plowed right through Noland's one-bedroom home.

Now, he says it's just a, "bunch of charred junk, just charred junk."

What is the history behind his home?

He shared the home with his wife who passed away three years ago.

Luckily for Noland, he was able to get help from his two neighbors to escape the fire.

"Nobody got trapped through, so that was good," he said while keeping a positive attitude.

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Lisa Somerton, Jerry's caregiver, described the scene.

"They saw the fire, the smoke and they ran," she said. "He said he heard them running down the path. They were running hard. He would not have made it out of there without their help."

Somerton said she was very grateful for the heroism of the neighbors.

The chard remains of four decades are all that lie where Noland's house once stood. His entire property of five acres, burned to ashes.

What else was lost?

He also lost his black lab during the fire.

"Cissy is a black lab," he said. "I don't know if I scared her and she ran. So I'm sure somebody captured her."

Finding Cissy has been his focus as his two goats are safe with neighbors. He's hoping signs put up by the community will help bring his dog home while he finds a new one.

Neighbors are doing what they can to help Noland, who served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War and Vietnam War. They also set up a fundraiser.

"We're a community and we look out for one another and help each other out in time of need," neighbor Daniel Feller said.

Somerton is not sure what the future holds, but she is sure of one thing:

"He said, ‘what am I going to do?’ and I said, ‘I don’t know. Only God knows but I can tell you this, he is not done with you!'"