Ridgecrest homeowner reacts to home burning during the earthquake, grateful to be alive

BAKERSFIELD,Calif. — Jack Minton homeowner who lives just off Sunland and California Avenue. He says he was at a local donut shop when he felt the earth quake.

“This is the biggest rock and roll I have ever had here, and I have been through about 5 earthquakes since I lived here,” Minton said.

Minton says that he then went home and was inside the home when the fire began and believes it was a water heater that might have started the fire.
“I lived here for 41 years and I haven’t felt anything like that, and it went on forever it felt like it was a lot of movement,” said Minton.

23ABC is told that store like big lots and other establishments suffered interior damages and not exterior.

“The fire happened about 15 to 10 minutes after the earthquake and I came home and nothing was wrong at first,” said Minton.
“Then a few minutes later I saw the fire in the garage”

Minton is one of the hundred individuals who have been impacted. One family says they were inside of the Walmart when the earthquake hit.

“The entire store shook,” said Shannon Jenkins-Thomas, shopper. “People were just running everywhere, and glass fell everywhere we went, and some hit my foot.”
Jenkins-Thomas says she is grateful to have escaped safely.

“I thought the world was going to end it felt so big and heavy around us,” said Jenkins-Thomas.
“I just broke down and cried.”

Minton says he hasn’t had the chance to assist all the damage yet, but he did lose his two priceless collectible cars in the garage and one of his cats. He says he is going to bed grateful.
“Well this has been quite a fourth of July,” Minton said.