SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A Logan Heights woman is facing another tragedy after a fire damaged her home more than a week after Christmas Eve winds brought down trees on her property.
On Friday morning, Ruffina Gonzalez, 57, was sifting through family photos after a fire swept through a third of her home on 33rd Street on January 2.
"These are my family pictures saved by firefighters,” said Gonzalez.
The fire ignited while she was not home. Fire crews determined the blaze was accidental and told Gonzalez the cause was likely electrical.
"You can't think or feel anything. You don't know what direction you are going to go now," Gonzalez said.
For Gonzalez, the overwhelming feeling is one she has become familiar with over the past few years.
In January 2024, floodwaters that swamped her neighborhood damaged her patio and yard, though the water didn't make it inside her home.
In September of this year, Gonzalez's husband of 35 years, Juve, passed away from a rare blood disorder.
"I lost more than a husband, a father, a grandfather. He's everything," an emotional Gonzalez said.
More than three months later, on Christmas Eve, she was out of town while her son was inside the home when strong winds knocked down two 15-foot-tall trees in her yard.
"The wind was noisy, really loud," Gonzalez said. “He looked out and saw the trees coming down.”
One tree fell onto a power line, while the other struck the side of her home and roof. Across the county, strong winds knocked down hundreds of trees during the Christmas Eve storm.
Gonzalez said she doesn't have homeowners' insurance because of the cost.
"Most of our savings went to my husband’s funeral," Gonzalez said.
She was preparing to get an estimate for the tree damage when the fire broke out.
"You are afraid to lose your home, you have nowhere else to go. It feels bad, terrible. For me, it’s like this is too much," Gonzalez said.
Despite the overwhelming challenges, Gonzalez said she will lean on family and her faith.
"We pray, and I know God has something better for us," Gonzalez said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Gonzalez's family with their recovery.
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