La Quinta family speaks out after losing home in fire

Two homes and a travel trailer were burned early Monday morning near Calle Monterey and Avenida Martinez.

News Channel 3 spoke to the family that escaped the flames.

One of them was homeowner Joseph Hern, who was feeling a range of emotions from gratitude after surviving the fire to complete shock over the total loss of his home.

Hern tells me he's lived in the home since 1984, now the frame is barely standing.

His grandson, James Nava spotted the flames around 3 a.m.

"I opened my door and my door leads straight out to the backyard, and I see this big ol’ like a tidal wave of flames. And I dropped my phone, I dropped everything, fight or flight right? I ran straight to my grandparents. I just I had to make sure they were okay," says Nava.

Nava tells me he spotted a hot wire with what looked like blue flames. He then proceeded to call 911.

"It was an electrical fire and they had the wires from the top of the pole, to the house that were live in the backyard," says Hern.

The fire wasn't able to be fought until the electricity was turned off.

Hern says it's been difficult to find a place to stay since all of his documents were lost in the fire.

"I mean, driver's licenses, credit cards, bank cards, they're all gone. So how do you go get a driver's license when your birth certificates burn up and apart? It's very difficult," says Hern.

The loss has also made it difficult to access their cars. Most of the family's car keys were burned in the fire. They tell me it can cost up to $450 to replace one key alone.

Nava tells me as devastating as the fire's been for him, he can only imagine how heartbreaking it is for his grandparents.

"We had like our life here, you know. And as my grandpa was saying, since 80's something. He raised us here. And you know, he took care of us and our whole life was rooted in this house," says Nava.

The five family members who lived in the home escaped the flames, along with their dogs.

Two of the family's cats were lost in the flames.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The family has since made a gofundme to help them recover. You can learn more and donate here.