The Rodriguez family of Alice is left with nothing after a fire destroyed everything on Tuesday, March 4, due to an electrical fire.
Yvonne Rodriguez told KRIS 6 News that it’s breaking her from within to see her home and memories turned to ashes. Her peace was destroyed after the fire. Now, she’s trying to put her life back together.
"I'm broken. I'm really broken. I'm hurt. I'm just - I don't understand. How this happened. This is my home,” she said.
Rodriguez said she was at work when she got a text from a friend.
"I felt like I couldn't get here fast enough. So many things were going through my mind. My dogs? My neighbors? What's happening,” she said.
In an instant, she saw her home of 20 yearsand the memories built inside that home - gone.
Fortunately, first responders were able to save her dogs.
"It was my safe haven. It was my home. It's just gone. It's just gone. It's over and I have a hard time dealing with that because this was my place. This was my home,” Rodriguez said.
She said her neighbor told her he was in his backyard when he heard loud pops. He saw the electrical wires and the transformer in the alley fall into her backyard. He quickly called 9-1-1.
The school teacher wondered what would have happened had her neighbor not been outside. Would the strong winds spread the fire to other houses? Would her dogs be dead?
“I can replace material things. I can replace the house, but I can’t replace what we had inside this home,” Rodriguez said.
She said her home was a place to recall the good times. She still had her Christmas decorations up because it made her feel closer to her late mother.
"We have a long road ahead of us and it's just so heartbreaking,” she said.
Rodriguez said she’s thankful for first responders who put their lives on the line everyday for neighbors like her. She is grateful for the love the community has shown to her family.
The family hasn’t been able to explore the home past the front door for safety concerns. She hopes that’ll she’ll be able to recover some of her late mother’s belongings from the fire.
Rodriguez said her heart goes out to her neighbors in South Texas as she understands the devastation that these fires are causing. She prays that the community will be able to move forward.
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