FALLBROOK (KGTV)- A Fallbrook man is picking up the pieces after a fire tore through an art and photography studio, destroying years of work and equipment.
Caleb Tracy lived and worked in the studio on Los Alisos, which was destroyed in minutes last Friday. What remains is ash, debris, and the outline of a space once filled with art and creativity.
"It’s crazy," Tracy said.
Tracy was inside the building when the fire broke out.
"Opening this door right here, I looked across, and there was just a wall of fire blocking the way. It was pretty nerve-wracking. I was able to make it out the window before it made it to me. I was safe by a couple of minutes," Tracy said.
Firefighters said by the time crews arrived, the studio was fully engulfed. Inside, paint and canvases quickly became fuel for the fire, which crews said intensified the flames and made it harder to control.
"We lost quite a bit, Jerome lost over 50 years of art. This was the storage down below here for all of his art, and for me, I lost everything. I had lots of cherished memories and moments, photo books and all my clothing is gone. I lost over $20,000 of video equipment that I do my work with," Tracy said.
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
One week later, Tracy is trying to figure out how to rebuild from the ground up. He said he is determined to create again and not let the fire define what comes next for him and the other artists who lost everything.
"We have some of our friends here today helping to rebuild and bring in some new materials, move around furniture to clear out the debris behind me, and get this place back to its rightful place," Tracy said.
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