SAN ANTONIO – Where the Salinas family home once stood now are piles of ash.
“It’s just gone,” Guillermo Salinas said. “It’s a home that I built myself with my own two hands, piece by piece.”
Guillermo and Elisa Salinas lost their home in the Duke Fire. Seven days later, they’re still in shock.
“It was gone,” Elisa said. “It was all gone by the time we got here.”
“How do you even process that?” asked KSAT reporter Avery Everett.
“You can’t,” Elisa said. “You can’t process it. You’re just seeing the flames go up and everything.”
On March 4, the Duke Fire burned through the Bexar County and Atascosa County lines. It destroyed nearly 40 structures, but thankfully, no lives were lost.
Now, a week later, as families pick up the pieces of what’s left, an elevated fire risk is back again.
“If we have to rebuild, we can rebuild,” Guillermo said. “Family is what makes a home, not a house.”
Guillermo and Elisa were at work when the Duke Fire spread to their property. Their family was able to rescue their dog, but almost all of their possessions were lost.
Their family is fundraising to get back on their feet, but they’re unsure when they’ll be able to rebuild. They say they’ve lost their home but not their hope.
“How are you staying positive through this?” Everett asked.
“God,” Elisa said. “My faith is strong in the Lord.”
