The home belonging to an accomplished music composer who cares for her Alzheimer's-stricken husband, is now part of the charred remains and devastation caused by the Sand Fire.
Jan Sanborn and her husband Loren Jane lost their Santa Clarita home of 18 years in the destruction of the Sand Fire, which had burned more than 37,000 acres and was only 25 percent contained on Tuesday.
Sanborn is a Christian music recording artist and educator at Cal State University Northridge. She and Jane escaped from their home on Little Tujunga Canyon Road Friday before the flames reached it.
"We got the call at midnight. We were sound asleep. We grabbed the dog, the clothes on our back, a couple of documents, and ran," Sanborn said.
Sanborn now speaks for her husband who lives with Alzheimer's disease and is non-verbal.
Forever perished in the fire were memories and keepsakes the couple accumulated, like Jane's scrapbooks which documented moments in his illustrious 50 years of working as a Hollywood stuntman.
"He was Steve McQueen's double his whole career. He was a stuntman for 50 years and founded the stunt man's association," Sanborn said.
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Sanborn and Jane did not have homeowner's insurance when their house was destroyed by the fire. The two are currently staying with friends in Los Angeles.
Despite the loss, Sanborn said she and her husband will look forward in faith one day at a time.
"Focus on the positive, and with a great deal of thankfulness, because we do have a lot to be thankful for. We got out and we can start over."
Friends have set up a GoFundMe account for anyone who wants to help the couple.
