GLENDORA, Calif. (KABC) -- It's been one year since the Colby Fire sparked widespread devastation in Glendora and Azusa, burning 19,000 acres and causing massive evacuations.
A campfire coupled with 55-mile per hour winds exposed 2,000 homes to the wildfire.
One wing of Singer Mansion burned to the ground and it sat on top of a knoll above what are called natural chimneys. The blaze started half a mile away and spread within 5 minutes.
That was a similar situation for one family. For the Palo family, all that remains is the memory of their home. The family was able to escape with some photos and their lives. The hardest part was watching the children go through it, Gena Palo said.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Acting Chief Jim Enriquez said the key to saving homes is building a defensible space. Those 100-feet defensible space along with the availability of water dropping aircrafts did save hundreds of other homes, Enriquez said.
"[One home] didn't have adequate defensible space around it. You can see the heavy brush is within 30 to 40 feet of the structure itself," Enriquez said.
Looking back, Enriquez said there is virtually nothing that could have saved the mansion because it was so close to the fire's source.
Of the 2,000 homes that were in the fire's path, only 5 were destroyed.
These days, Palo said her family is grateful for so much.
"We had each other...the community, our friends, or family. We did not go through this alone," she said.
L.A. County Fire offers more information on fire preparedness here.