Family loses everything after house catches fire in Kings County

KINGS COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- In Kings County, a family is without a home after a fire destroyed everything they had.

The Compton family lived at their home in Stratford on 19th avenue for 44 years but now, it's all gone.

Thankfully, everyone made it out alive, but the family lost everything, and the place where memories were built has been reduced to ashes.

"I just lost everything I own, I lost everything I own," said an emotional Viola M. Compton.

"In December, I lost my husband, and then this happened. There's so many memories on this property I can't explain."

Irreplaceable memories, like family pictures and family heirlooms from a lifetime with her husband, and passed down through generations.

The place Viola Compton called home since March of 1980, is gone.

Her home caught fire around 11 pm on Wednesday, July 19th.

By the time firefighters arrived, the home was engulfed in flames.

"I dropped to my knees and crawled out the door," recalled Viola.

Barely making it out and only in her nightgown, Viola watched everything she had worked for go up in flames.

For Viola, this is where she and her husband built a life together, trained horses, and raised their children and grandchildren.

"It's devastating me. I lost my (dentures) teeth in the fire. I have no teeth anymore. I'm just trying to move on," said Viola.

The Kings County Fire Department says tall grass and live ammunition kept them from safely going in.

Viola's son, Devin and his wife also lived in the home.

"That doorway standing is where me and my wife were in," said Devin.

The pain of losing the place he grew up in has been unmatched.

But the hardest part.

"Starting over. Not knowing where to start. It's like I didn't realize a person can become an in person," explains Devin.

Devin's wife had only been home for five nights when the fire broke out.

In May, she fell into a coma and then suffered a stroke.

She is now back in the hospital, recovering from first- and second-degree burns.

The family is taking the healing process one step at a time.

And they are thankful for the support they have received, "It's a blessing that there's people willing to help. Starting from scratch is not the easiest thing in the world," says Devin.

Meanwhile, Viola is Holding on to hope, family and faith, she says, "I got the good lord on my side. Can't do nothing without him."

She is alive and able to share the story of how she made it out of their burning home, but remembers the family keep-sakes passed down from generations ago that went up in smoke.

The family believes a short circuit at an electrical outlet caused the fire.

The King's County Fire Department is still investigating.

The family also shares they had just lost their insurance in May and had been working on getting a new policy.

There is a GoFundMe page for the family, if you would like to help.

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