Like hundreds of San Diego County families who lost their homes in October’s fires, members of the Huertas family, from Rancho Bernardo, realized their insurance would only go so far, and that at some point down the road, they might have to cover the cost of rent and a mortgage on their own.

“You know, my parents are still paying their mortgage, and the insurance is covering the rent,” said daughter Adriana Huertas. “But that money, it’s a lump sum, may run out before the construction is finished. And so that’s going to be something they cover the cost for.”

As is the case for many San Diego families, the fires couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“My father [a carpenter] has been unemployed for eight months now, and so the financial burden has been placed on my mom and me,” said son George Huertas. “And one of my sisters just moved back from New York and doesn’t have the most stable job right now.”

On Friday, Dec. 14, Bourbon Street hosted a fund-raiser for the family to help them cover the uninsured costs of rebuilding their home, destroyed in the Witch Creek fire.

“The entire San Diego community was affected by the wildfires, and the entire community did such an amazing job of wrapping its arms around those in need. Now it is our turn,” said Michael Mack, co-owner of Bourbon Street. “By getting involved and supporting the Huertas family, we hope that we can make a difference in their lives.”

Allison Sawyer, a family friend, coordinated the event.

“I thought, ‘Why not do a fund-raiser?’ And Michael was actually the first person I reached out to in terms of a venue. Because, you know, we happen to go there a lot, and everyone was like, ‘Oh, you know, he’s a great guy.’ So I just reached out to him via e-mail. And once I started talking to him and reached confirmation with him, it just sort of took off from there,” Sawyer said.

The benefit featured a one-hour open bar in the Stable Bar for a $10 donation. Patrons also had the opportunity to win raffle items, including Delta tickets, Nike shoes and certificates to 1-800-flowers.

Between 60 to 70 people attended, raising close to $1,200 – almost 25 percent of which came from raffle tickets alone.

Sawyer obtained the raffle prizes through her corporate business contacts.

“I think the people I reached out to for raffle items, you know like my friends who work at NIKE, 1-800-flowers and Delta, were amazing. They all stepped up to the plate, and everyone sort of wrapped their arms around the event,” said Sawyer.

All of the proceeds went to the Huertas family and have been placed in a savings account to accrue interest until they are needed.

“I started a savings account prior to the fund-raiser, and…all the money we raised from the fund-raiser will go into the account, so my parents will be able to access it as they need it,” said Adriana.

The fire not only created a financial burden for the Huertas family; it’s also taken an emotional toll.

“It’s been kind of surreal. I think in the beginning it was shock….You know, it’s the home that we all grew up in. And that was the home that my parents planned on leaving for us, and there are just a lot of memories that are gone,” Adriana said.

It’s the memories that hurt the most, said mom Guillermina Huertas.

For more than a decade, the Huertas had spent Christmas at their parents’ home. But this year will be different.

“This will be the first Christmas not spent at my mom’s house; so it’s going to be hard,” George said.

The Huertas are currently renting a three-bedroom condominium in Rancho Bernardo.

One of the biggest problems with the new family home is lack of space.

“My brother and sister, including her baby and husband, had to move back home. So my mom pretty much had a full house, and…now it’s much smaller, to say the least,” Adriana said.

“The good thing” about the new place, said Adriana, was that moving was a cinch. “Nothing needed to be moved, since everything had been lost,” Adriana said.

To make a donation to the Huertas family fund, contact Adriana at Huertas_Adriana@yahoo.com.

More than 1,500 homes were lost in San Diego County in the October fires, an Oct. 31 article in The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The amount of structural damage loss for San Diego County is estimated at $700 million, according to the Firestorm 2007 Damage Assessment, updated on Nov. 14, on the San Diego County Firestorm 2007 Recovery Web site.