'The firemen saved our house. Thieves stole our home': Mom forced to flee from wildfire returns to find property burgled - including her daughter's piggy bank

• Mother describes returning to family home to find it had been robbed
• Said $5,000 worth of items were taken, and knife left buried in cabinet
• Daughters Samantha, three, and Madison, five, had piggy banks taken
• Amy Kern said her family now do not feel safe inside their own home
• She is among five families targeted after they fled nearby wildfire 

By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline

Published: 11:36 EST, 4 August 2015 | Updated: 16:22 EST, 4 August 2015

One mother has described her heartbreak as she returned home after fleeing the California wildfires only to find she'd been burgled along with four other families.

Amy Kern, from Cascadel Woods, 150 miles southeast of Sacramento, said her home was emptied of expensive wine, games consoles, cash and jewelry after she fled a nearby wildfire along with her husband and three daughters.

Mrs Kern, who has lived in the property for 13 years, said that the burglars even took the piggy banks belonging to three-year-old daughter Samantha, and Madison, five.

Mother-of-four Amy Kern (left, with husband Jeremy) has told of her heartbreak after her home was robbed while she fled a wildfire in California with daughters Madison, five (top right) and Samantha, three (bottom right)

Mrs Kern, whose husband is disabled following an accident while working as a paramedic last year, says her youngest daughters, (Madison, left, Samantha, right) are now afraid to stay in the family home

She said the family suspect the criminals crawled in through her doggy door, which is large as the family own two St Bernard's, before loading the family's possessions into suitcases they found inside the house before making their escape.

Speaking to Mail Online, she said: 'We got back into our home between 10am and midday yesterday, and immediately noticed the lights were on and the front door unlocked.

'The house had been rummaged through. Things were everywhere. The TV and entertainment center had been moved and the Playstation, controllers, chargers and games were gone. 

'The wine rack and wine fridge had also been cleared out of about 22 bottles of wine. Our full bar was open and approximately 34 bottles of top shelf alcohol were gone. 

'The thieves had smashed trinkets and decorations, and the children's piggy banks were stolen.

'The girls are so upset because that contained all of their tooth fairy money, allowances and birthday money. My change jar for doing fun stuff with the girls was also gone. 

Mrs Kern, from Cascadel Woods, California, said thieves stole around $5,000 worth of uninsured valuables from the family home, including her daughters' piggy banks (left and right)

Mrs Kern believes the criminals crept into her home through the doggy door used by her large St Bernard's, before taking jewelry, games consoles and a TV. She also found this knife (right) stabbed into her counter top

'Our master bedroom had been completely tossed. Dresser, jewelry box and our bed were all a mess. There was also a knife stabbed into dresser at end of bed.

'A lot of jewelry, collectors' pocket knives and DVDs were gone, and the criminals had been through the garage and game room as well. 

'A crossbow given to my husband by his late father stolen as well as quite a bit of ammo. Mt 14-year-old daughter Kaylie also had her room ransacked.'

She estimates that around $5,000 worth of items were taken from the family home, and to make matters worse, their insurance will not cover the cost.

She added: 'The firefighters saved our house. The thieves stole our home.

'We will probably not be able to replace what was lost ever. Myself and my husband, Jeremy are both handicapped and the kids and life will always come first.

'I never thought we would be robbed. I never thought anyone would do such a thing.'

Mrs Kern says her children (daughter Samantha pictured) no do not feel safe going into their own home, while her disabled husband is 'very angry' about the break-in

Mrs Kern's daughter Kaylie, 14, who also lives at home, has also described feeling uncomfortable in the house, despite living there for 13 years before now

Amy, along with hundreds of other residents from this small woodland community, were forced to flee their homes five days ago as the Willow wildfire which had been raging nearby approached.

They were served with a mandatory eviction notice, meaning they had no say in the matter, but were told police roadblocks and patrols would keep their property safe.

However, officers believed the burglars somehow crept in on foot, before robbing the Kern family along with four others.

Speaking about the day she was told to leave her home, Amy added: 'We had to make five trips to get everything out and we had to decide what was important or could not be replaced if it burned. 

'I was due to have surgery in the morning on my foot and we were stressed out. My oldest daughter Ashley lives in the fire zone as well. So we were concerned for her safety as well. 

Residents of Cascadel Woods (pictured) were told to flee their homes last week as the Willow wildfire swept in, but were allowed to return home from 9pm yesterday

The local Sheriff's office branded the thieves 'disgusting' and said they likely struck on foot as roadblocks were put in place around Cascadel Woods while residents were away

'My husband's truck had broken down the day before evacuation so we had to call on the help of the community to get our trailer to safety.

'It was a long and painful day from 4am till midnight. My husband can barely walk after he broke his back while working as a paramedic and the pain is intense. It was hard for us to get out.

'It never occurred to me that someone could rob our house. I never thought someone would take advantage of us like that.

'My husband is very angry about it. My daughters don't feel safe in their own home anymore and neither do I. It's sad that the "bad guys" - as my girls call them - would do such a thing.' 

Locals were forced out of their homes five days ago after the Willow wildfire, one of around 25 currently burning in California, threatened to sweep in and burn the town to the ground.

Lieutenant Bill Ward, from the Madera County Sheriff's Office, said roadblocks were put in place to deter thieves, and the streets were patrolled 24 hours a day while people were away.

However, that did not stop criminals from sneaking in on foot and ransacking five homes along Vista Drive, in the heart of this small town. 

According to ABC30, Dan Norton, who lives near to the Kerns' house, was also targeted.

He added: 'We did everything that we're supposed to do, and then we come home to this.'

Meanwhile, officers from the Madera County Sheriff's Office branded the crime 'disgusting'.

Sheriff Varney said: 'This level of behavior is disgusting, and the Sheriff’s Office will exhaust all leads in determining who the suspect or suspects are.

Five homeowners say they have been targeted by the thieves, including one mother who said the criminal crawled in through her doggy door, before taking valuables including her daughters' piggy banks

Families forced to flee the Willow wildfire near Bass Lake, California (file image), have returned to their homes five days later only to find that they have been burgled

'We regret that citizens who were sensible and cooperative with the evacuations were victimized by most likely one of their own neighbors who refused to cooperate in evacuating the Cascadel area.'

The Willow fire is now 80 per cent contained, with fire crews departing the scene to help combat other blazes elsewhere.

More than 1,300 firefighters were working on the Willow blaze at one point, which officials have said was sparked by a teenager who ignited pine tree branches. 

The cost of fighting the fire is now estimated at $16.3 million, as around 24 others rage across California.

The largest is the Rocky wildfire to the north of Sacarmento that has now burned more than 62,000 acres of scrubland.

Another fire close to the border with Oregon also claimed the life of U.S. forest marshal David Ruhl, 38, who died on Thursday last week.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office on (559) 675-7770.