Malibu woman, who was once homeless, fears being unhoused again in wake of wildfires
Malibu residents are pulling together as a community to supply those in need with resources during the unprecedented wildfires, but one California family fears they may not find a place to live after their home burned down in the Palisades Fire.
Marlin Rodriguez and her husband had just 30 minutes to grab their 5-year-old son and 11-month-old daughter before their Malibu residence went up in flames.
"My husband said ‘wake up … We need to leave, the fire's on the other side of the hill.' And I got up quickly and just grabbed what I could, you know, just our documents. And I grabbed my 11-month infant and my five-year-old son, and we went straight into the car," Rodriguez told FOX Business.
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Rodriguez said it's now too dangerous to go back to the site of their mobile home. There's also nothing left. Only the metal frame remains. Like many, they are staying in an Airbnb, but after Friday they are unsure where they will go.
"Maybe we'll go to a shelter. Before we went to the Airbnb, we were at Ritchie Valens Rec Center. It's a shelter that the Red Cross put there," she said.
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The Rodriguez family is making the best of their situation. The community has put together, with the help of volunteers, a staging area for families in need to get necessities.
"We're here for the diapers. We need diapers. So that's what we're here for. We did have some people come to our place at the Airbnb and drop off some clothes for the kids," according to Rodriguez.
She says her son is still trying to understand what is happening, and she is doing her best to comfort him and explain that they can start over.
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"A lot of hugs. He's having a hard time. He's trying to understand. But it really does hurt. And I just tell him, 'Well, you know what? We’re together. You know, like we're together and things are going to get better,'" she said. "'And we just got to start from the bottom, but we’re together.' We got to thank God for that. And thank God for everybody that's trying to bless us."
The family has a GoFundMe for those wanting to help out.