Local Family is Homeless after Fire
By: Lisa Carr
Updated: January 23, 2008
A fire in West Lubbock county destroys two mobile homes and leaves a family of five with no place to live. It happened around 1:30 Wednesday afternoon near Hwy-114 and FM 2378. West Carlisle firefighers found two mobile homes, two campers, and several cars on fire. The fire was so big they called in help. Crews from Shallowater, Smyer, and Levelland rushed to the scene. It took the fire crews nearly two hours to get all the fires out. Fire officials say it appears the family living in the mobile home had recently been doing some electrical work, and a breaker box may have malfunctioned, which sparked the fire.
The owner of the damaged property, Ray Cortez, says, "Everything, everything is gone. There is no use salvaging anything right now ... We lost family pictures, and titles, and papework, school supplies, and school clothes. I'm losing my home you know I'm just glad my kids weren't at home."
No one was hurt in the fire. The Red Cross is paying for the Cortez family to stay in a hotel the next few nights and after that the family says they'll most likely stay with relatives until they save enough to build on their land again. They did not have insurance.
