Gann Fire families return to Calaveras County neighborhoods scarred by flames

More than 1,400 people were forced from their homes by the Gann Fire. On Saturday, many were finally allowed back to see what survived and what was lost.

For one family along Jaquima Drive, one of the areas hardest hit by the fire, the first look at their property brought relief.

"If I could explain it, it looks like somebody put a glass bowl over our house and everything just exploded," one family member said.

The flames came within feet of their front door, but the home and other structures on the property were still standing.

"As a family, [we're] just soaking it in," he said.

It was the same family CBS News Sacramento called Wednesday to tell them their home had survived. Saturday marked the first time they were able to return and see the damage for themselves.

The family did not want to appear on camera but showed CBS News Sacramento how close the fire came.

"Makes you think, like, man, if I had like five more minutes, maybe we could have done something," he said. "This just happened so fast."

Residents were allowed to begin returning less than a week after the Gann Fire ignited, though Cal Fire warned that repopulation does not mean all hazards are gone.

For this family, those concerns now include what could happen long after the flames are out.

"The terrain is all burnt. There's some hazards that we have to kind of think about with the weather coming in the near future in the winter," he said. "We're on the bottom of the hill, so if rains do come, this all gonna kind of wash down. We gotta kind of plan for that and see what we need to do to avoid any other more damages."

As of Saturday, 22 structures had been confirmed damaged or destroyed.

For those whose homes survived, relief has been tempered by what happened to their neighbors.

"We already come in with a heavy heart because our neighbor passed, our neighbors lost their homes and some didn't," he said. "We did have some things that were burned or were lost, but nothing compared to the worst outcome out of this fire."

Now, the family is focused on what comes next for their neighborhood.

"We're going forward," he said.

Law enforcement plans to remain stationed at entrances to the community through at least Tuesday.

Cal Fire is also urging returning residents to watch for hazards ranging from broken glass and damaged materials to smoldering trees as assessment and cleanup work continues.