REDDING, Calif. – Rubble, debris and ash are all that is left on the land where Jerry Ogle’s family home once stood in Redding, California.
In a matter of days, the Carr Fire destroyed the home and left the Ogle family holding onto 17 years of memories they made in it.
On Sunday, Ogle visited the area with his dad with one wish – to find his grandmother’s wedding ring that was passed down to him by his late grandfather.
“My only real hope was that I would miraculously find the diamond in the ash,” he posted on Facebook.
He knew it was a long shot but he was determined to try to salvage this family heirloom.
“After about a half hour of searching the area where I knew I left it, I looked to the sky and asked my grandfather for help,” he posted on Facebook. “Not 30 seconds later I found the box, the same box that it was given to me in.”
Out from the rubble, he opened the box to reveal the ring fully intact.
“It hasn’t left my side since,” Ogle told CNN. “Not until I find a more secure place to keep it.”
He is now on a mission to help others in his neighborhood rebuild and started a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $7,000 since Sunday.