BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A Bakersfield mother and her five children are among four families left homeless after a fire believed to be caused by Fourth of July fireworks destroyed their apartment building.
Areli Vargas was at home preparing for holiday festivities around noon when she first detected the smell of smoke.
"I couldn't do anything. We just watched the building burn for about 20 minutes," Vargas said.
Her mother, Norma Saucera, was at work when the fire erupted at the Deseret Way Apartments in Southwest Bakersfield.
The blaze quickly spread through multiple buildings, leaving destruction in its wake.
"It's difficult because I'm a single mother with five kids, but I have faith that everything's going to be okay," Saucera explains.
According to Saucera, the fire appears to have started with neighbors' holiday activities.
"The neighbors were smoking, having a BBQ, and they had fireworks. It started in building C, then jumped to B, and finally reached A," Saucera says.
The Bakersfield Fire Department responded to the scene, but by then, the flames had already consumed multiple units. Four families in total were displaced by the fire, which reduced homes filled with memories and belongings to ashes.
As Saucera and her family begin the difficult process of rebuilding their lives, she hopes their experience serves as a warning to others about the dangers of fireworks.
"Be aware — especially around the 4th of July. If you're going to do fireworks, be cautious. It only took seconds for us to lose everything," Saucera warns.
The Bakersfield Fire Department reports that the official cause of the fire remains under investigation.
You can help the Vargas family out by clicking here.
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