Nothing but ashes are left after a fire ripped through a Flour Bluff barn, killing Justin and Jason Garcia’s steers Thursday night.
The night before the brothers were due to show the animals they’ve raised for nine months.
But the Garcia brothers say this incident won't stop them from showing next year.
They say they’re heartbroken after the Flour Bluff/Padre Island 4-H Club members feel after their barn, which housed their steers, when up in flames last night. The two were supposed to show their steers at the Nueces County Junior Livestock Show on Friday morning.
Justin is a high-school freshman, and Jason is in the sixth grade. For nine months, the Garcia brothers fed and took care of the steers, forming an unbreakable bond with them.
The fire broke out at around 9 p.m. and spread quickly, but that is not stopping them from preparing for next year.
"I think I’m going to take this as motivation for next year,” Justin said. “Work harder, try to rebuild the barn. Try to make next year a lot more better." The cost of damage to the barn is unknown, but we're told the estimated cost of the steers and the feed is nearly $10,000. No matter what, the Garcias say they will continue to work hard for next year’s show.
"It took a lot of hard work, a lot of hours in the barn and a lot of tears and sweat," Justin said.
The fire is currently under investigation by the Corpus Christi Fire Department.
The steers would likely have been sold tomorrow, during the conclusion of this year's show.
