SAN MARCOS, Calif. (KGTV) — A San Marcos woman is recounting her harrowing escape from an apartment fire that damaged two apartment buildings Monday, displacing dozens of residents.
Tania Lezama was sitting on her couch watching TV Monday afternoon when she heard a noise that drew her to her back door. When she opened it, she was met with disbelief.
"I was scared. I tried to do something, but I was frozen," Lezama said.
The flames left her frozen for a few moments before she called 911. Lezama, who was home alone, says the sight of the fire spreading quickly through her longtime home at the Cactus Garden Apartments sent her racing through the unit.
Lezama's daughter, Karen, pointed out what remains of a fence that caught fire, which quickly spread into Karen's bedroom.
"The only thing I see is just the fire is coming inside to the bedroom, and a lot of smoke, and that's the only thing I see," Lezama said.
As she ran out barefoot and holding only her keys, half her home was on fire. She left her front door open, hoping her cats would escape.
The three-alarm fire damaged units in two different apartment buildings, displacing more than 24 people.
"Devastated," Karen said when asked how she feels looking at the damage.
Video shows the aftermath of the fire inside their two-bedroom apartment. Nearly all of their belongings were ruined, including photos of Lezama's mother, who has passed away.
"My mom had big pictures, and those were the only ones she had of her mom," Karen said.
Karen says the search for something else priceless — their two cats — has put their recovery on pause.
"They both mean the world to me. They are my children. I'm like a crazy mom right now. I can't think. I can't sleep," Karen said.
As they search for their cats, the family, which did have renters' insurance, plans to help their neighbors, some of whom did not have insurance. Karen hopes to start fundraisers to help their recovery.
"I don't know about the future, but we're going to get through it together," Karen said.
Fire officials say the fire started outside a unit in Lezama's apartment complex. The investigation is ongoing.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help the Lezama family with their recovery.
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