THE VINAS MUNOZ FAMILY TUBBS FIRE

My name is David M. Vinas. I was born and raised in Santa Rosa,CA.  My dad is Ariel Vinas, my mom is Claudia Munoz, and my brother Nicholas Vinas. 

Our family lived on 1974 Pine Meadow Dr. for about 10 years. Never in my life could we imagine such a devastating event for us and our neighbors around Coffey Park. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone that lived in our street and around our neighborhood that were severely affected by these fires.

It was a knock on the door by my neighbor Monica from across our house that woke me up in the middle of the night. It felt like a war zone. Endless smoke surrounded our neighborhood making it hard to breathe. Explosions going off all over the neighborhood. As I glanced over the trees from our house, in what was a beautiful clear night with stars illuminating, rapidly turned into hell as red flames and smoke covered our neighborhood.  It felt like the last 10 minutes of my life. I did not know what to pack. As soon as my mom got off the phone from my girlfriend who had also called letting us know tto evacuate asap, the lights went out and at that point, all I cared about was getting my mom, dad, my two dogs, shaggy and lucky and my bird Lucas out safely as possible.

We lost everything. My mom’s roses, family pictures, birthday cards, family memorabilia, and personal belongings. Aside from that, my dad owned a successful small dental repair equipment business and all his tools, equipment, projects, invoices, and hard work burned down. In addition, I am a musician that also ran a small music business. I perform at parties and family events. It is one of my passions that I’ve enjoyed doing. All of my amplifiers, cables, equipment, and guitars burned down, including my very first guitar that my dad gave me when I was 9 years old. I had made myself a promise that I would give that guitar to my son or daughter as a present and pass along the tradition. Unfortunately, I cannot anymore.

My favorite rock band of all time, MANA is one of the most influential people in my life. From concert tickets, posters, CDS, DVDS, autographs, I had invested emotionally and spiritually so much in these belongings and in a split second they were all gone.

When my mom and dad came into this country, they came with a bag of clothes and 200$ in their pockets. For almost 30 years, my mom and dad worked so hard to get to where they’re at. From working various jobs, to encouraging their kids to go to college, my parents are my heroes and it hurts me to see that everything they sacrificed and work hard for vanished in a matter of hours.

This fire may have taken away our home, but it will not take away my love for music. I believe that music has the power to cure the heart and soul. That is why; I will continue to play live music at Mi Ranchito in Cotati, CA. During these difficult times, if you ever need a break with what’s going on and want to enjoy some good MANA, Bon Jovi, U2, CCR, Enanitos Verdes, Caifanes, and many more songs from your favorite musicians, stop by on Saturdays from 6-9PM.

A project that I have for the future is that when our neighborhood is fully restored, I will plant a tree on our backyard. This tree will not only symbolize a new beginning but it will also be dedicated to all the victims affected by the fires and to everyone that supported our family, your names will be written around the tree.

I ask for your help and support. Anything helps. I also ask that you keep us and those affected by the fires in your prayers.

ALL FUNDS WILL GO DIRECTLY TO OUR FAMILY. WE ARE A FAMILY OF FOUR AND OUR PETS. MONEY WILL ALSO GO TOWARDS MY DAD'S DENTAL EQUIPMENT REPAIR BUSSINESS WHO LOST IT DURING THE FIRES. A SMALL PORTION OF THE MONEY WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS MY SMALL MUSIC BUSSINESS THAT I HAD. I TOO LOST ALL MY MUSIC EQUIPMENT. DONATIONS WILL ALSO GO TOWARDS FOOD, CLOTHES, DOG FOOD, AND TEMPRORARY HOUSING.

Together we can. Together we will. Rise from the ashes. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and God bless you.