Northern California fire victim helps decorate Rose Parade floats

IRWINDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- A woman who lost her home in the deadly Northern California wildfires says volunteering to decorate the Rose Parade floats has been therapeutic for her.

Stephanie Stauer's home was completely destroyed when a fire tore through the Santa Rosa area earlier this year.

"It's therapeutic. It's a way to get out of my head and it's something that I absolutely love," she said.

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Stauer used to love decorating her home for the holidays, and she says decorating the floats is a way to continue the tradition.

The NorCal mother says the family of her daughter's best friend reached out to her after the fire. The family had an extra, furnished home that they used occasionally, and they offered the house to Stauer's family.

"We were incredibly blessed," she said.

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This is Stauer's first time seeing the Rose Parade floats in person, and she said it was very impressive.

"It's kind of like peeking behind the curtain at 'The Wizard of Oz,'" she said.

You can watch the Rose Parade on New Year's Day on ABC7.

PHOTOS: 2017 Rose Parade float winners

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The Netflix float 'Soar Beyond Imagination' winning entry, the Craftsman Trophy for exceptional achievement in showmanship for floats 55 feet and over, rolls along the Rose Parade.

AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker