SAN ANTONIO – Veronica Castro and her family had just celebrated Christmas at home one day before losing most of their belongings and their pet dog in a fire.
“It’s just overwhelming. It’s hard to comprehend,” Castro said of the loss.
Castro said she and her husband had gone to the store while her father remained at home with her three children. She then received a call that the house was on fire.
“I felt helpless and defeated,” she said.
The fire happened Saturday in the 2000 block of Ceralvo Street.
According to the San Antonio Fire Department, the flames broke out toward the back of the home. An SAFD spokesman said a passerby noticed the smoke and notified everyone inside.
“They did something about it, and because of them, I have my family still,” Castro said.
Although everyone made it out safely, the family’s 7-year-old dog, Maximus, did not survive the fire.
Castro said most of their belongings, including Christmas gifts and school laptops are gone. She said the home is beyond repair, and she never imagined her children would be faced with this devastation.
“The only thing I can do is comfort them as best as I can as a mom,” she said.
The cause of the fire is still not known.
Castro said she, her husband, and their children are staying with a relative. However, her father is staying in a separate home, which has only made things harder.
“That’s also a drastic change for us not to have him around,” Castro said.
Despite the struggle, Castro remains grateful to have her family. She said with the new year approaching, she hopes for a new beginning.
“Try to rebuild and start somewhere new,” she said.