A Saturday house fire gutted the home of Carson City residents Francisco and Brenda Torres, leaving them, their two children and Brenda's sister facing an uphill battle.
"The fire department was on the way and they saw smoke and right then the water heater exploded," Brenda said Wednesday. "The explosion set my bedroom and bathroom on fire."
Brenda, 21, said the fire totally destroyed a bedroom and the bathroom, but her residence, a mobile home in Clear Creek Trailer Park off of Clear Creek Avenue, is uninhabitable.
She and her family had to move into a motel room and are currently looking for an apartment, she said. They had no insurance.
Brenda's 16-year-old sister, Idalia, was sleeping when the fire started and after waking, barely was missed by the explosion.
"She was on her way out the door when the explosion happened," Brenda said.
Brenda, Francisco, 2-year-old Chantel and 5-year-old Javier, were not in the house at the time of the fire.
Donations of cash, household goods and clothing will be appreciated. They can be made at the Nevada Community Federal Credit Union to the Brenda Torres account #781006. For information, call 883-5484.