Camille Grammer Details Her First-Hand Account of Fleeing from the California Wildfires

Camille Grammer has lost her home in the California wildfires. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills newlywed shared the news in an Instagram post on November 11, adding that — despite her loss — she was grateful for the team of firemen who did their best to save their home. Later, Camille gave a first-hand account of what it was like to flee the fires.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Camille remarked on the stark opposition between her joyful wedding day and the harrowing aftermath. "I went from one of the best days of my life, to such a tragedy,” she said. “It’s so sad. It’s such a tragedy."

Recalling the day she saw the flames approaching her Malibu home, she said, "The skies were blue in front of my house, but in the back of my house you could see the flames over the canyon. I went to my safe and I grabbed jewelry, documents, birth certificates, and passports. The bigger pieces of art we couldn’t take, but we grabbed an Andrew Wyeth painting. I also took some photographs that meant something to me — my great-aunt who passed away a couple years ago. I took pictures of my family. We packed as much as we could into three cars."

Then, Camille prepared to evacuate with her daughter, Mason. "We were standing in the house before we left and Mason said to me, ‘Mom I get this feeling our house isn’t going to make it.’ And I said, ‘Honey, I hope it does, but I have the same feeling.’ We just thought, this is it. I had a pit in my stomach.” She added: "As we were driving down the Pacific Coast Highway, it was gridlock. It took us hours. It was like the apocalypse.”

At the moment, Camille isn't expecting to recover many more valuables from the remains of her home. "It’s a total loss. Most everything is gone. We’ll see if there is anything to salvage. But we can’t get into the house because it’s dangerous.”

In the end, Camille still hasn't lost her perspective. "We’re just so grateful for our community, the people who offered their homes, clothes, everything. And I’m not worried about my material things at this point. It’s about the safety of my family and my friends. Material things are just things. We can replace most of them. We can rebuild. And we can start anew. But people can’t be replaced,” she said.

Camille also offered an update on a couple of her RHOBH pals: "The backyard of Eileen [Davidson]’s home was burned, but her house was safe, thank God. Denise [Richards'] house is fine, so she’s okay. We’ve been in contact. She’s just happy to know that everyone is safe.”