IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers IN FLAMES-Fire consumes MGR Design International buildings on Grimes Canyon Road. The potent smell of smoke was still blowing in the air at the BonnFyre Ranch above Moorpark on Monday as Dorann LaPerch hurried about caring for her horses and her pets.

Friends were already reaching out to help LaPerch and her 81year-old mother, Mildred, who both lost their homes and all their sentimental possessions during Sunday's fire, which burned about 14,000 acres.

The blaze was contained by Wednesday, but the lives of several families will never be the same. Their spirits, however, remain unbroken.

"People are amazing; these kinds of things restore your faith in humanity," said LaPerch, who's now living in a horse trailer and was busy trying to get the electricity reconnected.

Sunday's fire was fast and intense, she told County Supervisorelect Peter Foy, who came to offer support. "It felt like I was walking into hell," she said, describing how she entered her house to retrieve her birds while the fire was raging through it.

CONTAINED-Firefighters battled patches of fire for hours in the hills east of Campus Park. The LaPerch family has been in Moorpark for about 30 years. The 26-acre ranch was named after a beloved horse owned by Dorann when she was a teenager.

"Bad things sometimes happen to good people. God never promised he would keep us safe from bad things, but he said he will carry us through," said DeeWayne Jones, 71, whose family also lost two homes.

Jones, his wife, Shirley, daughter Jody and grandson Adam are staying at the Marriott Courtyard in Simi Valley and working to find a temporary home in Moorpark.

Wallace and Mildred Nishikawa and their daughter Anne were also left homeless by the fire. They're staying with a family member in the area, friends said.

The fire broke out early Sunday morning on Shekell Road at Grimes Canyon Road behind the old Egg City facility, said Vaughan Miller, assistant chief with the Ventura County Fire Department. Investigators reported Wednesday that the fire was caused by downed power lines.

A second fire began farther east near Happy Camp Road and Broadway at about 7 a.m. and merged into the first. Officials said they don't yet know what sparked that blaze.

The Shekell fire destroyed five homes, the old Egg City complex, and several uninhabited structures. Farmland and about five other homes also sustained damage, said fire officials. The homes are on Charles Street, Sir George and Lucille Court.

"The flames reached within developments; nobody can explain how the fire behaved," said Hugh Riley, assistant city manager for Moorpark.

"We've had a number of residents lose their homes, escaping literally with just the clothes on their back," said Riley.

"The firefighters were amazing and effective in the way they battled this fire; they saved many homes," said Ray Albino, who took photos of a plane dropping retardant near Moorpark College.

Many orchards were damaged, said David Buettner, chief deputy agricultural commissioner. The estimated loss so far is about $1.8 million. The fire affected avocado, lemon and orange crops at more than 20 locations.

The county will reassess the properties impacted by the fire to minimize tax expenses in the future, said Foy. The tax assessor will also see if payment of property taxes not yet paid can be delayed so those affected by the fire can regroup.

The site of the fire has been declared a disaster area by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Foy said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized the use of federal funds to help pay firefighting costs, which were estimated to be $4.5 million earlier this week.

The two homes on the LaPerch property were underinsured. Friends said donations can be sent to the LaPerch Group at Union Bank in Moorpark.

Funds can be sent directly to the Jones family. Cash, checks or gift certificates may be sent to the family at P.O. Box 1012, Moorpark, CA 93021.

The Rotary Club of Moorpark has an account to help families affected by the fire. Donors can designate a family to help, club president Jim Arthur said.

Checks payable to Moorpark Fire Fund may be mailed to Rotary Club of Moorpark, P.O. Box 172, Moorpark, CA 93020-0172.

For additional information, call Arthur at (805) 492-9006.