It's the place the Estrada family calls home, but all they could do is watch as their house went up in flames.
"I was in my room and I guess my mom ran into my room and woke me up," Marcos Estrada said. "I went into the backyard to check the patio and the whole patio was on fire already."
The fire broke out just after 5 p.m. Wednesday night. Within minutes of the call, county and city fire crews converged on the fire on West Drive off Niles Street.
"We were able to get a lot of resources all at the same time and there wasn't a lot of delay," Battalion Chief Shawn Whittington, Kern County Fire Department, said. "We probably had six or seven units on scene and the knock down was relatively fast."
The fire burned well into the attic areas of two homes. It took a concerted effort to keep the fire from spreading.
"Upon arrival we found two structures involved in the fire with a total of three structures threatened by those two," Whittington said.
As the fire fully engulfed the homes, a nearby crowd gathered in shock. The grief was too much for Clarisa Estrada who cried and screamed as she tried to run back inside her home.
"It's sad, my parents worked so hard to build this house and everything is ruined now," Clarisa said.
As countless memories melted away, the Estrada family could only think of how to rebuild their home and their lives.
"We had to work for that home. Everything we have is in there," Marcos said. "It's emotional."
The Estrada family thinks the fire started in the vacant home next door.
The Red Cross has been called in to help them with food and shelter. This is the 44th family the Red Cross has assisted this year due to home-related fires.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Anyone with information can call 1-877-FIRE-TIP.
Damages are estimated at $175,000.
