The Gomez family lost everything.
Last Saturday afternoon, a fire ripped through 43-year-old Cosme Gomez’s home and business and both are a total loss.
The fire originated at his neighbor’s house after several people there were clearing brush and burning branches.
“Mr. Gomez stated he was inside his residence when one of his employees (unidentified) called him via cell phone and informed him the fence on the south side of the residence was on fire,” Hidalgo County Fire Marshal Investigator Roberto Chavez wrote in his report.
Gomez and the employee tried to douse the fire with a garden hose, which did not have enough water pressure.
“Mr. Gomez then said they began using buckets of water from the recreational pool in an attempt to stop the fire from spreading, but to no avail. Mr. Gomez said he watched as the fire intensified and began catching the (fascia) and eave of the roof of his residence,” the report says.
Once the fire reached the roof, it entered the attic and quickly spread throughout the rest of his residence.
“Mr. Gomez informed me prior to the fire starting his neighbors were burning brush on the other side of the fence line. Mr. Gomez stated after the fire departments arrived on scene he no longer saw the two male subjects outside,” Chavez said in the report.
The investigator went to the neighbor’s property and determined Gomez’s account of the fire’s origination was correct. Chavez noted the back area of the property had not been maintained and fire load had accumulated over time.
The neighbor told Chavez she accidentally started the fire while her husband and brother-in-law were clearing the rear of the property to place a travel trailer.
She was burning some of the smaller branches that had been cut and had left the area to get a water hose at her house, which was at another location. When she returned, the fire had spread and was burning intensely, according to the report.
“I then returned back to the fire scene where I observed the roof had already collapsed throughout the entire residence,” Chavez said in his report.
He ruled the fire was accidental.
The fire originated on the neighboring property where a pile of tree branches were being burned. The fire spread across the property where the cedar fence began burning and the fire spread to the roof of the neighboring residence,” the investigator wrote.
Hidalgo County Precinct 3 Commissioner Everardo “Ever” Villarreal, who also responded to the fire, is assisting the family, his staff said.
Villarreal also urged residents to report any illegal trash burning.
“As a reminder, due to the dry conditions, a burn ban is still in effect in Hidalgo County. Do your part in preventing fires like this one and report any illegal trash burning immediately,” Villarreal said in a statement. “What happened to the Gomez family is a tragedy and could have been prevented. I encourage our community members to dispose of trash responsibly. Illegal dumping and trash burning will not be tolerated in our Precinct.”
Gomez’s sister, Janie, has started a GoFundMe for her brother in hopes of helping her sibling and his family recover. As of 8:55 p.m. Sunday, the fundraiser had garnered $3,605 in donations toward a goal of $20,000.
“My brother, Cosme Gomez and his family 4 boys and his wife Bonnie were at their home when a fire started. Their home/business was destroyed on April 24th 2021. Fire, smoke, and flooding damage has caused them to lose the entire contents of their home,” Janie said on the GoFundMe. “Thankfully they were able to evacuate the home with their dogs. Unfortunately some pets did not make it out. They are uninsured and unable to return to their home and retrieve any of their belongings.”
Janie said the family is currently staying in a hotel due to the coronavirus and do not know how long they will need to stay there.
She says her brother’s family needs funds to find a new place to live, to furnish it and to replace important items lost in the fire.
“Thank you so much for donating anything you can for a family that has fallen on hard times,” Janie wrote. “Please share on Facebook or any other social media to help get the word out.”
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