Skateboarder accidentally captures video that shows Coffey Park before and after Tubbs Fire

Johnbee Buencamino spent Saturday, Oct. 7 at a family barbecue at his childhood home in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa.

Less than 48 hours later, that home would be destroyed and Coffey Park would become known as ground zero for the Tubbs Fire. The neighborhood suffered some of the worst damage in the massive wildfire that killed at least 23 people, destroyed 7,000 homes and burned nearly 37,000 acres.

By chance, Buencamino captured video that shows the neighborhood before and after the fire.

STUNNING DEVASTATION: Watch as firefighters arrive in Santa Rosa, stunned by scope of Tubbs Fire

On Oct. 7, he and his brother, Jaybee, decided to go for a ride on their electric skateboards.

"Whenever I ride my boosted board, I always have my GoPro turned on and recording for safety reasons," Johnbee said. "In this specific case, it just miraculously worked out where I was able to capture footage of the neighborhood literally right before the fire hit."

The brothers can be seen in the video riding through the streets of Coffey Park, where they both grew up. Their aunt and grandma each owned a home there.

"I did not know at the time that it would be my last look at my childhood neighborhood as I knew it."

An American flag flies at a home destroyed by last week's destructive Tubbs Fire on Walnut Grove Street in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa, Calif. on Wednesday Oct. 18, 2017. An American flag flies at a home destroyed by last week's destructive Tubbs Fire on Walnut Grove Street in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa, Calif. on Wednesday Oct. 18, 2017. Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 55 Caption Close Skateboarder accidentally captures video that shows Coffey Park before and after Tubbs Fire 1 / 55 Back to Gallery

Two days later, on Oct. 9, the Tubbs Fire devastated Coffey Park and was spreading rapidly through Sonoma County. Like many Santa Rosa residents, the Buencamino family was caught off guard in the middle of the night and forced to evacuate in a hurry.

WINE COUNTRY FIRES: Before-and-after photos show devastation of Wine Country fires

Monday afternoon, the brothers returned to skateboard down the same streets, hoping they'd find their childhood home spared. When they arrived at the location of their aunt's house and saw only ashes remaining, Jaybee dropped to the ground.

"Nothing hurts my heart more than seeing the pain and anguish on my grandma and aunt's faces as they learned that the homes they worked so hard for were gone," Johnbee said.

Watch the video at the top of this story to see the dramatic difference in the Coffey Park neighborhood before and after the Tubbs Fire.

Editor's note: The video on this story has been edited by SFGATE for length. For more footage, see the original post on YouTube.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.