Many of the Lamont residents who were displaced after a fire broke out at an apartment complex Thursday night returned Friday to gather what was left of their belongings.
One of those people was Victoria Luque, who has been through a lot in her life. She's beat cancer twice and is now starting a new battle after losing her home to a fire.
"I mean, I've been asking for life since I had cancer," Luque said. "So, I got to be thankful for my life."
The fire ripped through the Vintage Apartments on Dec. 28, leaving her with just moments to get out.
"By the time that I got from my living room, to out here, everything went into flames," Luque said.
But after years of chemotherapy and cancer treatments, she knows she'll get through this.
"Crying ain't going to fix it," Luque said.
Luque and two of her grandkids lived in the apartment for about a year and a half. Now, they're going into the new year having to start from scratch.
When she returned on Friday to see what was left, there wasn't much besides her medication and family photos. A friend of Luque's gave her an angel just hours before the blaze, telling her to hold on to it to protect her and her grandchildren.
After losing her home and nearly everything, she says she's grateful to be alive.
"The way I see it, if I already beat cancer twice, maybe this is a blessing from God," Luque said.
The Red Cross is assisting many of the thirty residents who were displaced. Kern County Fire and arson investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
