A family in the Inland Empire is trying to get back on their feet after a fire destroyed their home and took the life of their beloved cat on New Year's Day.
The fire happened around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday while the parents of the house were out running errands. Brandon Vines was alone in his room when the family cat began to panic, alerting him of the fire.
"When I opened the door I saw Ari my cat and he ran back to the patio. I followed him and I smelled smoke. Then I saw the fire outside," said Vines.
The home quickly was engulfed in flames and surrounding neighbors did their best to stop the fire from spreading before firefighters got there.
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"We are neighbors. What else are you supposed to do," said Danny Schoonover. "Grabbed the hose and tried to put out the fire and turn the gas off. Then we pulled the fence down and told the neighbors to throw water."
It took firefighters about 20 minutes to put out the flames. The home was red-tagged due to the amount of damage sustained from the blaze.
Homeowner Jeff Vines said he was devasted to come home only to find it destroyed.
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"I got firefighters here and my house is burning. Just in shock," said Jeff.
None of the family members were injured except for their beloved cat Ari, who did not survive and died from the smoke.
"Everything I've known and all the stuff I own. And then the beloved ones — my cat, that I've known for five years, that I've cherished, all gone," said Vines.
The family believes illegal fireworks in the area may be to blame although the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
