Reduced to Ash, Rebuilt in a Flash

Doris Opilo’s Valentine from her husband was a large pink box made of wood and stucco, full of empty rooms she plans to fill with their new oak furniture and her calla lily pictures. It was her newly rebuilt house.

Scarcely three months after last autumn’s wildfires destroyed hundreds of homes in their San Bernardino neighborhood, the Opilos this weekend will become the first family in the city’s burned-out area to enjoy a homecoming.

“We haven’t been thinking about anything but moving in,” Ted Opilo said, surveying the home.

The ranch-style house was built on the original foundation and around the central fireplace and chimney, which survived the flames. It stood as a testament to the community’s ordeal, next door to the pile of chimney bricks and rusted metal siding outlined with yellow “caution” tape that was once a neighbor’s house.

A porta-potty still stands in the Opilos’ frontyard, and the landscaping consists of a charred palm tree, a few orange and yellow daisies, and a grapefruit tree recently planted in front of the garage.

Jerry Patrick, the contractor, said he started building Dec. 2, as soon as the rubble had been cleared away. By Tuesday, he was finished, more than a month ahead of schedule.

“The good lord helped us a lot. The weather was good, so we could build every day,” Patrick said. “And the city was good about keeping appointments, so we could stick to a schedule.”

The Opilos told Patrick that they wanted to replicate their old home in every detail. Patrick developed a floor plan from what remained of the foundation, and then tweaked the original design to make the house more comfortable for the Opilos.

“This is new,” said Doris Opilo, 88, proudly flinging open the door to a hall closet. “And the living room is bigger.”

Elsewhere in San Bernardino, the rebuilding process continues.

Seven other families have started work on their houses, and 26 more people have applied for rebuilding permits under an expedited procedure the city established for fire victims, said Joe Lease, a San Bernardino building inspector.

“It takes a long time to rebuild, because there are so many variables,” Lease said. The biggest factor, he said, was securing insurance money and deciding whether it made financial sense to rebuild. Lease said that after the 1980 Panorama fire, his department continued to receive permit applications well into the 1990s from people who lost homes.

The last time the Opilos saw their original house was late in the afternoon of Oct. 25. Under a sky heavy with soot and ash from the raging Grand Prix and Old fires, the pair left the house on a quiet cul-de-sac in the Del Rosa district to go to church.

By the time they returned, about 5:30 p.m., shifting winds had driven the flames into their neighborhood and lifted flaming embers onto rooftops.

“We came home and the street was just full of people,” said Ted Opilo, 81. “Doris looked at me and just asked, ‘Where’s our house?’ ”

Neighbors told them that a spark had caught the palm tree, which stands on the northeast corner of the property. The dry fronds exploded in a shower of flames, setting the house afire, along with the two homes next door as the fire hopscotched from street to street.

The Opilos moved into their house 38 years ago from Encino, after Ted, an attorney, was transferred with his law firm. Doris Opilo said they chose to move to Del Rosa, then a 3-year-old development, instead of going to San Diego because they could keep their five horses close by and ride up into the mountains in the evenings and on weekends.

The couple, who were married in 1951, lost all of their possessions, including more than 2,000 golf clubs Ted had bought to refurbish and resell and Doris’ photographs of her riding in show-horse competitions.

Their two daughters, who were grown by the time the Opilos moved to San Bernardino, have only a few photographs to replace those that were lost, Doris said.

The Opilos didn’t think they would need to evacuate because they suffered no damage in the 1980 Panorama fire. “Also, we had a steel roof,” Ted Opilo said. “But that didn’t help any.”

The couple tried to put the losses behind them Friday as they admired their rebuilt home.

“It’s just too bad that we got this beautiful home from such a tragedy,” Doris Opilo said, shaking her head.

Her real treasure is the new kitchen, which is outfitted with white appliances and custom oak cabinets. “Feel this,” she said, running her hand along the shelf of a cupboard stocked with three boxes of cereal and some juice cans. “You don’t even have to line these shelves.”

Ted Opilo is happiest about having his garage back. He bought new golf clubs, which are stacked against a wall, waiting for new workbenches and power tools to arrive.

Patrick watched the couple welcome visitors to the home, grinning conspiratorially.

“I told Ted, ‘Don’t tell your wife, but you’ll be able to give her the house as a Valentine’s Day present,’ ” the contractor said. “That was back in December, just after Christmas.”

Late Friday afternoon, the Opilos found out that their new bed would not be delivered until today, which meant spending another night with their next-door neighbors, who let them stay throughout the building process. “We just got the TV, though, so we can watch the news,” Ted Opilo said cheerfully.

“We’re in no rush,” he added. “If it takes another day or two longer, that’s OK. Our troubles are over; we’ve got it made.”