Online Fundraisers Help Two Families Displaced by Fire on Santa Barbara’s Westside

On an otherwise sleepy Sunday afternoon a month ago on August 4, an electrical fire ignited in a neighborhood home on Santa Barbara’s Westside, shooting flames and black smoke into the sky and spreading over to the property next door until both homes were burning. 

The smoke was reported by witnesses on Loma Alta and Cliff Drive, but the only person at either home at the time was Francisco Valadez, a resident of the second home to catch fire, who was shocked when his grandchildren came home from the weekend farmers’ market and banged on his door shouting and telling him the house was on fire, according to an update provided by Edhat later that evening.

Across the street, neighbors celebrating a birthday party jumped into action, calling the fire department and grabbing garden hoses to try and keep the fire contained until help arrived.

In a stroke of coincidence, Paulina Avila and her children — who lived in the Orange Avenue residence where the fire originated — were all out of town in Santa Maria when they were notified that their home was on fire.

By the time fire crews were able to extinguish the fire, both homes were damaged beyond habitability, with one roof partially caved in and both families’ belongings damaged by the smoke and flames. The Valadez and Avila families, both families of six, were displaced and connected with the local Red Cross.

Since then, both families have put together online fundraisers to ask the community for support while they help rebuild their lives following the fire.

The Avila family, including their two dogs, shared their story in a message written by Paulina on their GoFundMe page, in which she describes “the heartbreaking loss of our home and all of our cherished belongings.”

“Although we are profoundly grateful that our family is safe, the void left by our lost home is immense and deeply felt,” she said. “In this challenging moment, we find solace in the kindness and generosity of others. We humbly ask for your support to help us begin to rebuild our lives and restore a sense of normalcy. Your contributions, no matter the size, will be a beacon of hope and will aid us greatly in overcoming this hardship.”

Mary Valadez — whose brother Frank was displaced in the fire, along with his four children, ranging from ages 8 to 16 —  put together a GoFundMe page to help the family afford “bare essentials and a place for them to stay during this difficult time.”

In the online post, she describes how the roof of their home “completely caved in and further burnt their belongings.”

“Nothing in their home is salvageable,” she said. “They’ve lost everything they own; both parents and children have only the clothes on their back.”

Both online fundraisers have raised more than $8,000 for each of the families.