Angleton family loses home in fire while preparing for BBQ
ANGLETON, Texas - One family in Angleton lost everything in a house fire on Friday that started while they were trying to barbeque at their trailer on East Mulberry in Angleton.
Now they are trying to rebuild for their two small girls, ages eight and 10.
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"We are here in high spirits, and with God's grace, we are here and breathing. That’s basically all that matters," said Martina Caudillo.
Sadness and heartbreak is what Martina Caudillo sees when she looks at what’s left of her home after a fire Friday morning at around 6 a.m.
"We were actually going to cook that morning. We were going to do a little bit of BBQ in the afternoon, so that way, when we got home it’ll be done. But one of the embers got loose and hit the ground and that’s just when it all started," said Caudillo.
Martina says the fire started on their front porch, but she and she and her two girls were inside getting ready for school, when they ran through the living room, kitchen, and down the back steps to safety.
However, as a mom, Martina says seeing things like her daughters' clothes and toys scattered outside is what hurts the most.
"I can still hear giggles and laughter and them throwing stuff around in this room, like it was nothing, but everything is going to be alright," said Caudillo.
Thankfully Martina, her husband, and her two young daughters are okay – something her 16-year-old step-son is grateful for, who was home nearby when the fire broke out.
"I didn't know it was their house. My first thought was number one, checking to make sure because it was in the direction of my dad’s house, so I need to go check and make sure. When I got here, I did see my stepmother and my little sisters running around," said Payton Caudillo. "About 14 years ago, my mother passed away the same way, a house fire, and so it triggered me and my first thought was to save everything I could."
Martina said on Wednesday during our interview that it was her two young daughters' first time back at the house since the fire, but she knows they are going to be okay thanks to help from family and friends.
A cousin to Martina's husband even started a GoFundMe to help the family rebuild.