Paul Schneider had only been living at the Grand Avenue Mobile Home Park for a couple of months when his world was turned upside down.
On the evening of Friday, Dec. 27, his RV went up in flames.
“My first initial reaction was that I wasn't expected to end my life in this way,” Schneider said.
He recalled how the fire started.
“I felt a hot flame go across from the heater to the propane tank that I had filled, and then I saw a flame on the tank where the valve is. I threw the tank outside, and it started whistling loud like it was going to blow, so I went back in because I didn't want it to blow up,” Schneider said.
He says the flames from the tank spread quickly to the front of his trailer, blocking the door and trapping him inside.
“My hair was frizzy. That's how hot the flame was coming through. I was only about two feet away from it,” Schneider said.
He says he hid in the back of his trailer waiting for firefighters to rescue him. Grover Beach Police Department officers broke a window and pulled him to safety.
WATCH: Grover Beach PD releases dramatic video of trailer fire rescue
His trailer and everything inside is a total loss. His co-workers at The Home Depot in San Luis Obispo are now coming together to support him.
Kelly Neufeld started a GoFundMe.
“He's a very giving person,” Neufeld said.
She’s worked with Schneider for seven years and says he is always giving to everyone.
“A week or two before Christmas, he was walking around with a big bag of gifts handing them out to at least two dozen people,” Neufeld said.
The Red Cross put him up in a motel for three days but he is currently trying to find a place to stay.
Schneider says he is grateful for the help and support from the community.
Donations can also be dropped off at The Home Depot in San Luis Obispo.
