Reedley family reunited with pets lost after fire destroys their home

REEDLEY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Six people were displaced after a fire spread to two homes in Reedley early Wednesday morning.

One of those people is Lianna Pena, who lived in her home for 38 years before it was completely destroyed.

"It's devastating. I can't even explain it," she said. "To lose everything like that."

Lianna was sitting on the front porch around midnight when flames broke out in her backyard on 9th Street near D Street.

"I didn't realize until it was too late," she said.

Investigators are trying to figure out what led to the fire.

Firefighters faced challenges when fighting the flames, as several power lines were knocked down. The battalion chief said it was "like a firework show going off." PG&E was able to come in an help de-energize the lines.

Lianna's two adult sons made sure their mom made it to safety. But before she could react, decades of memories were destroyed - including her house, everything inside, her car, and even her cell phone. The home next door was also a total loss.

In the commotion of getting to safety when the house was burning, Lianna lost her animals. Her cat didn't make it out alive and her two dogs took off.

"That's my daughter's dog," she said. "And my daughter passed from COVID last year. And this was like her baby."

A good Samaritan found her daughter's dog, Callie. Hours later, Action News was there for an emotional reunion when Reedley Animal Control brought "little bear" back home.

What the flames didn't touch was a picture of Lianna's daughter Jennifer. This house is the last place where she lived.

"Everything burned around it but her picture didn't," she said. "I just feel her presence and that makes me stronger."

Lianna says she knows her daughter was watching over her and her sons Tuesday night. The support from her neighbors is reassurance that she will rebuild in Reedley.

"My neighbors are great. I love my neighbors. My neighbors were there for us," she said. "This is where I have lived my whole life. This is where...yeah, I want to be here."

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family.