NORTH COUNTY -- Christmas arrived early last week for six families who were victims of last year's devastating Witch Creek fires.

For the second year, Creative Nail Design of Vista has provided decorated Christmas trees, wrapped presents and gift cards to some Ramona area families who lost their homes in the October 2007 fires.

One of those fire victims, Pamela Scodellaro, seemed awed by the donated tree and the company's generosity.

"It's so beautiful. They're so sweet," said the Ramona mother, after setting up the festively adorned tree in the manufactured home where she lives with her four children.

"(The tree) has snowflakes and icicles that I had wished for. The presents are wrapped in silver and white," Scodellaro added. "It looks like something you've seen on TV."

The Ramona Fire Recovery Center delivered the trees to the local families on Tuesday and Thursday.

"Getting their trees and seeing this company make such a wonderful gesture, the families were so excited," said Bonnie Fry, the center's director. "So many families were in shock and didn't even celebrate Christmas last year."

Many of the fire victims are still are suffering, Fry added.

The Ramona center opened earlier this year to provide hundreds of fire victims with rebuilding seminars, counseling and other services.

Fry said monthly meetings for survivors have become reunions for many former neighbors.

Of the more than 450 homes destroyed in the fire, only 50 have been rebuilt, Fry said. Many families still are waiting for insurance cases to be settled or didn't have insurance, she said.

Creative Nail Design employs 89 people at its Vista plant. The company has been developing specialized nail and skin care products since 1979.

Employees Sheila Wiggins and Louise McClave said that in prior years, workers at the firm had decorated trees and exchanged gifts for its annual Christmas party.

Following last year's Witch Creek fire, the employees decided to donate six trees to Ramona families whose homes had been destroyed. Workers also decided to skip the annual employee gift exchange and instead purchase presents for the families, Wiggins and McClave said.

This year, realizing that families still were struggling, employees decided to repeat what Wiggins said is becoming a holiday tradition.

One difference this year is that the employees requested detailed information on families selected by the Ramona center, which allowed them to decorate trees and select presents based on each family's wish lists.

McClave said one family with three young sons is now living in an RV on their property.

"The children said they wanted to see Hot Wheels and Leggo cars on their tree," she said, so employees decorated their tree with toy cars.

Employees gathered hand-made decorations for another family that wished for an old-fashioned tree, she said.

"It's a warm feeling," McClave said.

"It's very fulfilling to help others," Wiggins added.

The two women each used the words "close-knit family" to describe Creative Nail Design,

"Everybody feels like this is a family," McClave said. When employees were told about the project for Ramona fire victims, she said, "Every person was asking, 'What else can I do?'" Â

Wiggins is a 20-year-employee at Creative Nail Design.

"That family spirit has never gone away," she said.