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Mesa couple loses home, possessions in fire
MESA, Ariz. - A Mesa couple who moved to Arizona to be closer to family became homeless after a fire burned everything they owned.
What started as a normal day for Liz and her husband Brian, who had recently bought a mobile home in Mesa, quickly turned fiery.
The couple, married for 30 years, returned home to find their place in flames near Val Vista Drive and Main Street.
They went to run errands when the fire erupted. The two hadn't even spent a full day at home before it was destroyed.
Electrical issues are likely to blame.
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"Flames coming out the kitchen window and just smoke everywhere," said Liz Petrie. "I jumped out and was just trying to think like, how can we put the fire out? Because we do have fire extinguishers, but they weren't unpacked yet."
A friend of the family, Charles Naumann, saw the flames before the couple arrived and ran in to grab their dog.
He suffered burns to his body due to the flames.
"The heat was unbearable. The flames were like everywhere," Naumann said.
The fire burned everything in their possession, including Brian's custom motorcycles.
"It's a big loss," Liz said. "A lot of memories attached to different things that belong to family members."
Now homeless, Liz says the community has been caring and helpful. She wishes she could live among them.
"This community here has been so helpful. We've had people that we don't know that have come up to us and offered their homes, food, do our laundry. They've just been amazing, and it's a community I would just want to stay in for safety reasons," Liz said.
The couple needs help with removing the debris.
With no homeowner's insurance and Brian being paraplegic, they've set up a GoFundMe for anyone looking to help them.