Clovis family devastated after fire destroys home

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Jeanine Smith shared her heartbreak after a fire consumed her family's home Friday night.

"They say home is where the heart is, and my heart, and my mom's heart," Smith said, tears streaming down her face.

Four generations of Smith's family lived in the home near Gettysburg and Peach. She said she loved sitting on the porch every day and is heartbroken that her future plans will now have to change.

"We were gonna get a porch swing, 'cause when it's cool, it's so nice and the trees are shady, you know," she said.

Smith said she never imagined something so horrifying could happen to her family.

"I'm homeless, and it's really scary, you know. It's very scary," said Smith.

The Clovis Fire Department said the flames started in a neighbor's backyard and quickly spread after 9 p.m. Friday.

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Crews from Fresno and Sanger assisted as firefighters faced several challenges.

"There was a lot of grass and a lot of vehicles. There were probably about eight to nine cars that were damaged in the back - probably about five boats and a couple of trailers. So that all fueled this fire, plus the wind pushing everything toward the structure," said Clovis Fire Chief Chris Ekk.

As Clovis Fire continues to investigate what sparked the blaze, Smith says one of the next steps is telling 89-year-old mother, who is currently in the hospital, that their family home is gone.

As the department continues to investigate the cause of the blaze, Smith said one of the hardest parts will be telling her 89-year-old mother, who is currently in the hospital, that their family home is gone.

"I'm very concerned because the only thing she wanted to do was come home to her home, and she doesn't have a home to come home to," Smith said.

The family has set up a donation page. To help, click here.

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