Local family starts over after losing everything in house fire
Manoah Tuiasosopo
SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Starting from scratch. A house fire destroys nearly everything for one local family.
They share more about that day and their journey as they dust themselves off.
Charred beams and scorched belongings is all that remains of this Somerton family’s home after they nearly lost it all in a house fire last month.
Juan Duran, the father of the family who lives there says, “That’s when I got the phone call from my daughter that the house was on fire. Her desperate cry and need of aid was just horrifying to hear.”
The fire happened nearly three weeks ago near W County 16th Street and South Avenue B 1/2.
Although no injuries were reported, the fire claimed the life of the family dog.
Following the fire, the family says they were left without even the basics.
Juliet Duran, the daughter, says “My room and everything in it was all destroyed.”
But with help from the American Red Cross, the National Guard, and Chicanos Por La Causa, the family has been temporarily housed ever since.
They’ve also been receiving clothing and food assistance from the community and local agencies.
The family says the past few weeks have still been extremely difficult.
“It’s still kind of hard to swallow. We’ve been living on this property for 5 years already. Just to know that you’re out of a place that you call home is kind of hard to swallow,” Juan explained.
Eight people were staying at the home at the time of the fire. This includes two young children, a teenager, and their parents.
The family says they could use some help with every day essentials.
“Just for the kids. My three-year-old, my four-year-old, and my 15-year-old. Just like clothing and shoes. For the meantime, we have everything else,” Juan shared.
Juliet humbly asks for one thing in particular: “Probably just some school supplies because school is starting up. I’d say that’s pretty much it.”
The family is inviting the community to help them clean up what’s left of their home this Sunday at 8:00 a.m.
If you would like to help, a GoFundMe link can also be found here. It has a goal of $20,000, and it raised $4,390 so far.