RUIDOSO, N.M. – While hundreds of residents prepared for the worst, Don Spencer stayed calm in his family’s yellow cabin.

“I inherited from my mom,” said Don Spencer. “It sits on top of a beautiful little piece of land with spectacular views. It’s the most peaceful place in the world. It’s where I’m supposed to be.” 

That’s where he was when he snapped a photo of the South Fork Fire Monday morning. 

“I thought it was going to go around us, but it got into a canyon and raced up the hill and destroyed not only my home but all my neighbors. It cleaned the hill off pretty good,” said Spencer. 

Spencer says his family and friends made it out of Ruidoso safely, but something inside him wouldn’t let him leave.

“This is home,” Spencer said. “I had a reasonably safe place to stay, and I figured there would be a lot of need for somebody like me.” 

When he wasn’t enjoying his piece of paradise, Spencer worked as a security guard in Ruidoso and not even a wildfire could keep him off patrol.

“I’m not an investigator. I’m collecting information, photographic, video information for the places my boss sends me to,” said Spencer. 

That included a lot of homes and businesses whose owners needed some peace of mind. Spencer kept tabs on dozens of properties, all while his was left in ruins.

“Life happens, fires happen. I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude of the response that America is showing us,” Spencer said. 

Spencer’s daughter set up a GoFundMe page to help her dad build a new cabin.

“I have nothing, I have no – my daughter did that. God bless her heart. She’s quite a girl. But no, things will, things will turn out,” said Spencer. 

Optimism even in the darkest of days.

“That’s the past and all I have is today,”  said Spencer.