Show Two homes two couples two fiery fates in California r r i i it V t Y ij J tc i I Los Angeles Times photo by Ja Jay L. L President Bush Hush meets Kimber Fowler who o lost her tier home in a S San Diego suburban community Scott Glover Jack Leonard Matt Lait Los Angeles Times The howling Santa Ana winds may have saved Roger Bielasz's life even as they threatened to end it Unable to sleep because of the winds wind's racket Bielasz got out of bed around 1 I am a.m. Monday and went to his window just in time timeto to see flames names shooting up to his hilltop home Within minutes the fire had surrounded his house along with four others overlooking the San Pasqual Valley With no time to escape Roger and his wife Dena did the only thing they could think of to survive They jumped into their swimming pool according to Rogers Roger's daugh daughter er Kimberly Mi Miley ley Wrapping wet towels around their heads to protect them from the fires fire's heat thick smoke and red-hot red embers the sat on an an underwater ledge in the pool for more than three hours shivering in the cold water as their home just feet away burned to the ground Their next-door next neighbors did not make it out of their house in time A coroners coroner's official identified I Ithe the victims as John Christopher Bain 58 and V Victoria Fox 55 Neighbors said the couple were married and described them as happy friendly folks Bain worked I in real estate and his wife was a I schoolteacher Sheriffs Sheriff's deputies had gone to California Fires Continued on AS I I California Californi Fires Continued from A I 1 Ithe the couples couple's house earlier in inthe inthe inthe the week after receiving a missing persons report but did not find them During a second visit by a search and rescue team Wednesday the remains were discovered Jerry Nicholas Bains Bain's friend and personal attorney said he had talked with his school high-school buddy on the phone as the fire approached He was very aware that he had to leave Nicholas said adding that Bain was preparing to evacuate There was no indication that he had some plan to stick it out He was ready to leave There is no reason to believe he was making any attempt to save the house He is not a foolish person Nicholas said The fire demolished all five homes on the mile half-mile stretch of Highland Valley Road i n r fLike f- f Like r some some others rs' rs who t live in homes ringing th the San Pasqual Valley the residents along Highland Valley Road said they received no evacuation order from authorities authorities' monitoring the Witch fire fin and got no reverse telephone calls j I J an Caldwell spokeswoman said she could not immediately determine whether the thy Highland Valley residents residents' were warned I Roger Bielasz's daughter Miley said her father 60 and stepmother 51 51 believe they w would uld have died if no not not notI I for their pool t I I i This was the worst da days day i of their lives Miley said f She said that the couple I i were recovering at a Del f Mar hotel and that they r were deeply saddened by t 1 the deaths of the neighbors 3 f which they learned about ij Wednesday i Diane Rose 60 t insisted They scrambled to pack i f some belongings like their t I Turkish rug and Belgian f lace Frantic and afraid W 5 they snapped d at each other I f as they hurried to load their I i two cars grabbing their cat t Pippi and their dog Oso r Finally ready to leave and with little time to spare spare Marion couldn't find the ca car keys I totally panicked d Diane said I said God I I need help and I need it now Seconds later she lifted I the cat carrier and found the th t i Ii keys underneath The h Roses Rose I II had complete completed completed i I painting their thel home that j day I the last step in m an I extensive remodel Hours later I it if was was destroyed in the blaz I Their Thel i loss r they said was was I nothing compared their I neighbors neighbors' bors' bors loss of onie life I 1 limes mes researcher Gal Gallay contributed o t r s s f 0 I I |