The smoke from the fire was so close, neighbors could see the fire cracking, as it inched closer to their home Mario Fuentes, a neighbor said he quickly grabbed his family and his personal belongings and got out.
"I got up looked out the window, I could see a bunch of smoke hear the cracking the popping from the leaves the fence was burning," said Mario Fuentes.
Mario was happy to see everyone made it out. The fire left minimal damage to his home. Brownsville Fire Lieutenant Jorge Lerma said, by the time they arrived the fire was starting to make its way to Fuentes' home.
“It was pretty scary," said Mario Fuentes.
"Next door there was people at their home and they were concerned about their belongings we tried to protect their structure first" said Fire Lieutenant Jorge Lerma.
While Mario's home escaped complete devastation; the owners of that home at 37 Casa de Amigos didn't, the single family home is charred, inhabitable, and personal belongings completely destroyed.
"For this particular home it’s severe," added Lieutenant Jorge Lerma.
There were still a lot of toxins in the air firefighters advised the family not to enter what was left of their home. Everything was black; the entrance was a wide open space, the roof collapsed. Firefighters believe the structure fire started in the exterior of the home blazing to the interior and quickly destroying it.
At the time of the fire there was no one in the home and according to Lieutenant Jorge Lerma.
"The people that reside here either showed up around the same times we got here or just after, and they were surprised their not exactly sure what happened," added Lieutenant Jorge Lerma.
Neighbor Mario Fuentes is very grateful his mom was alert and helped saved his life and his families, instantly following the fire they were able to call 9-11.
"Thank god had it not been for her who knows how long it would of taken for me to get up and realize the neighbors house was on fire” said Mario Fuentes.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT