El Paso family among dozens who lost homes, cabins in Ruidoso wildfire

EL PASO, Texas -- An El Paso family learned their cabin in Ruidoso's Nogal Canyon was destroyed in the fire.

Justin Churchman's parents Mike Churchman and Laurie Paternoster bought the cabin 27 years ago, in 1995. Churchman, 29, spent hundreds of weekends at the cabin with family.

"Some of my last time with my grandparents was there. There were moments that to me are impossible to create," Justin told ABC-7. "In today's world it's so hard to find an area that still has no cellphone and no Wi-Fi and that you still feel is safe environment for kids to explore, for elderly, for people of all ages. And that area was one that you see very occasionally, a bear strolling through the valley, deer in your front yard, backyard, it's kind of a surreal experience."

Churchman experienced a different kind of surreal when a neighbor in Ruidoso told his dad the cabin burned down.

They haven't gone themselves, so he's hoping the land and surrounding trees still survived.

In the meantime, he's holding on to the memories. He learned how to chop wood outside the front steps of the cabin. Churchman and his older sister explored the woods. He also watched his father paint landscapes inspired by their surroundings.

Churchman said he and his father were actually planning to go to Ruidoso for Easter weekend, a tradition from childhood.

"We'd do an Easter egg hunt and then my sister and I would put on a show for our grandparents," Churchman said. The skit they prepared was one of his favorite memories. "We used a zip line and built a little cross and I rode the zip line down on the crosses. It was very extravagant," he added, laughing. "But there are so many amazing times that we had there."

Churchman would often take friends to the cabin. The family would also occasionally rent it to couples for a weekend getaway. He's grateful they were able to help create memories for others.

Now, he said he's praying for firefighters to control the flames.