An octogenarian veteran lost his home and everything inside of it just weeks after his insurance company canceled his home's coverage, according to a report.
83-year-old Adam Fowler is a decorated Vietnam veteran, dad, grandfather, and Search and Rescue volunteer. He was at a Search and Rescue meeting the evening of Oct. 7 when the fire that would burn his house to the ground broke out.
"On the way home, I saw all these fire engines, and they turned left on my street. I said, 'Oh no, I don't like that,'" he told KCRA.
Fire trucks lined his street as crews worked to extinguish the flames engulfing Fowler's home. Portions of the property were saved, including the garage and some fruit trees, but the fire decimated the house, which tragically contained Fowler's four cats.
"I lost everything – except I had a T-shirt and a long shirt, Levis and boots. That's all I had left when I got here. The dollar amount of damages is probably well over half a million," Fowler estimated.
Weeks earlier, the insurance company canceled the veteran's policy, citing the home's age and proximity to wildfire areas. Fowler is one of over 100,000 Californians who've been booted from their home insurance in the past five years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"Profit is more important than people. Profit is what counts to the insurance people, and they don't care that it protects people and helps people get through this," Fowler said, adding that he hopes his experience could lead to changes that protect others from similar hardship.
The resilient veteran is hopeful as he works to rebuild his life, buoyed by offers of shelter and support from community members, as well as a GoFundMe set up by one of his children.
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