NORTH COUNTY -- As nine volunteer firefighters for the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District worked valiantly to keep flames from spreading into Julian and protected others' homes this week, their own homes were destroyed.

A Julian-Cuyamaca Firefighter Relief Fund has been established to help those families. People can make donations to the fund at P.O. Box 33, Julian, CA 92036.

From the Cuyamaca Fire Station, seven firefighters returned to the bad news after getting off the fire lines. Those affected are Carl Schweikert, Carolina Finch, George Hatton, Dave Southcott, Bob Garner, Christina Hays, and Chris Wilburn.

At the Julian Fire Station, two firefighters, Nick Rogers and Bill Everett, were told their homes were lost in the fire, said Rogers' wife Christina Rogers.

"It doesn't matter because they're all alive and that's good," she said. "I was scared they'd be surrounded (by the flames)."