DALLAS — For Wilfredo Gomez, seeing his parents’ home consumed in smoke and fire on Monday was surreal and heartbreaking.
“This doesn’t feel real at all,” Gomez said, as he surveyed the charred remains, where his home of 14 years once stood.
The Gomez family was just one of 26 homeowners directly impacted by the Balch Springs grass fire that spread to a strip of homes along Broadview Drive.
Balch Springs officials say a mower that was cutting grass on private property right between the neighborhood and Interstate 20 Highway sparked the July 25 fire.
The Gomez family’s home was one of nine, so far, to be deemed a total loss.
“For it all to be gone, I’m really, like, shocked,” Gomez said.
Gomez says his younger brother, who is 17 years old, was the only one in the home on Monday afternoon, when the grass fire started spreading to properties. He said his brother was about to take a shower, until he heard someone banging on the front door, telling him to evacuate the home.
“I think the side of the house was already on fire, so he just quickly grabbed the dog and headed out the door,” Gomez recalled.
While the fire was raging on, Gomez and his father, who run a landscaping business, were working in Irving. When they heard what was happening, they both rushed home to see the chaos unfolding in the neighborhood. Local agencies say there were no reported injuries. They’ve also learned that the fire did more than $6 million in damages.
Adut Kual lives right beside the Gomez family. She and her family were watching TV, when her son told her, “mommy, mommy, fire!”
“That’s when I got up. And when I got up, this place over here was already completely gone,” Kual said as she pointed to the burnt grass in her yard that stopped just short of her home.
Even though her home was spared from major damage, Kual says she and her family will stay at a hotel until they’re sure it’s safe to live in their home.
“God is great that He, you know, kept us, all of us, in the neighborhood safe,” Kual said.
The Balch Spring Fire Department spent Tuesday surveying the neighborhood, accessing the damage to homes and speaking with homeowners like Gomez’s parents.
Gomez tells Spectrum News 1 he hopes their insurance covers the home, stating it’s tough to see all of his parents’ hard work burned to the ground.
“Hopefully, God knows what he’s doing for me and all these families,” Gomez said.
Until their home is rebuilt, Gomez says his father’s landscaping business, Alfredo Landscaping, will be what helps them get back on their feet.
“If they would like to support us, that would really mean a lot,” Gomez added. The number to schedule a landscaping appointment is 214-457-1486.