BELTON, Texas (KXXV) — “And when I looked at the house, I mean the first thing I thought and the first thing I felt was just I’m so glad that we weren’t here,” Homeowner, Virginia Benavidez, said.
- The homeowner plans to rebuild the home.
- Z & H Candy is still open regular hours.
- No one was home at the time of the fire.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Virginia Benavidez and her family were victims of a gas explosion earlier this month - the family was an hour away from home at the time of the blast.
Virginia says their visit away from home that night probably saved their lives.
"That sort of damage happens instantaneously and there is nothing you can do about it," Benavidez said.
The calls started ringing at 4 a.m. to alert the family of the fire.
“It was just more massive than I thought, and the fire chief told us all of your windows were blown out, your door was blown off the hinges, and your walls were displaced,” Benavidez said.
The family has lived here for four years since 2021.
“It was a house from the 1950s, and it has been there a very long time," Benavidez said. "When they saw it on the news, people who grew up in Belton were like, " Oh, I know that house, you know. I’ve been by that house or that house has been here longer than I have."
The family is celebrating spring break with their three and 7-year-olds to maintain some normalcy. I’m told they'll be moving into a rental property on the same block as them; the family is their treasured home.
The community set up a GoFundMethat is almost at its goal. The homeowner is thankful, but she knows it will never be the same.
“We were doing all sorts of projects in the house, you know, painting, doing some custom furniture, changing a lot of the floors, and trying to get everything closer to the original aesthetic. It’s an elegant one-story ranch-style mid-century home that we love," Benavidez said.
Supporting this business is one of the best ways the homeowner says she can be helped.
Clickhereto access the business page.
