Las Lomas family devastated after losing everything in fire that destroyed three homes
Two families were left with nothing in Starr County after a fire destroyed their homes.
Precious memories were gone in minutes in the Tuesday fire in the community of Las Lomas just south of the Rio Grande City.
The Alaffa family said they lost everything inside their home — including the quinceañera dress that the owner's daughter never got to wear.
“I feel devastated,” Elizabeth Alaffa said, adding that she’s still processing what happened to her home.
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“Unfortunately, we lost it all, everything,” Alaffa said.
Starr County Precinct 4 Fire Chief Bernabe Benavidez said the fire started on a neighboring property before spreading to two other homes — one of which was unoccupied.
Benavidez said it was difficult to get the fire under control.
“The wind factor was another issue,” Benavidez explained. “Humidity, the houses so close together, properties not clean, and other issues which made the fire load so much hotter."
Alaffa said she wasn’t home at the time the fire sparked, but watched it go up in flames. Her family wasn't able to salvage anything from the rubble, and now she's turning to the community for help.
The Starr County Fire Marshal is still investigating the cause of the fire, and said it could take up to five days before they find out the cause of the fire.