'How much stronger do I have to be?': Man loses home to the Eaton Fire month after losing his father

ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Every person that has lost their home in the deadly Eaton fire has their own personal story.

For Derek Russell Jr., the loss of his home came just one month after losing his father, Derek Russell Sr.

"This means everything. This is his legacy right here," said Russell, as he held his father's American flag, the only thing he has left of him.

Russel buried his father on Dec. 6, and on Tuesday suffered another loss. The Altadena home he shared with his father burned to the ground due to the Eaton Fire.

"I didn't even go through his stuff yet because I wasn't ready. I was just trying to learn how to grieve for myself for that," said Russell.

Fire devoured every unit at Mariposa Townhomes. Russell could see the wind fueled fire on the mountain when he evacuated, but he said he never thought it would reach all the way to his home.

"We thought we were going to be okay. I thought we would be okay," said Russell. "I said 'I'm just going to grab a few things, I'll be back in the morning'. I literally grabbed two sweats, socks and my dad's flag. This was the last thing I grabbed."

Russell's father was a police officer with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Los Angeles Housing Authority and the Pasadena Unified School District. He was also an army veteran.

He said he was a dedicated father and grandfather whose legacy was serving others.

For Russel, who is recently sober, his father's death was a devastating loss. He said he never imagined it could get worse.

"It's trying to get me to have that drink. I think 'Man, how much more can a guy take in such a short period of time?'" Russell said. "People keep telling me to be strong, but how much stronger do I have to be? But I'll recover. We'll recover. It'll take time, but it'll happen."

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe has been set up to help Russell recover.