PORTER, Texas — With his roof now framing everything his family’s lost, Porter homeowner Daniel Casares has only been left with memories.
“Devastation ... a total loss. Blink of an eye, it's gone,” Casares said.
It's the only house he's ever lived in.
“This is it. I've been here 35 years. This house is where I grew up. This is the only house I've ever known," Casares said.
The marks are everywhere of an early Saturday afternoon fire with the frantic moments timestamped by a Ring camera.
“It happened so quickly," Daniel’s wife, Rebecca, said.
She said she was outside the house when it all started.
“Within a matter of seconds ... just walked out the front door and smoke just started coming through," she said. "Thankful we weren't in the house, which normally we are. I believe in God and I think that was God."
One of the family’s three sons, 8-year-old Alexander, saw the destruction for the first time with his own eyes on Monday.
“What will you miss most about the house?” KHOU 11 News reporter Zack Tawatari asked him.
"Playing with my brothers," Alexander said.
With school just starting, the family said they lost everything.
“All of their toys and computers and games and bikes and my wife's jewelry and clothes and all that stuff," Casares said.
The family is turning to the community as they try to pick up the pieces.
“We don't even know where to start as of now ... I mean, you know, start from the bottom and work our way up is all we can do so," Casares said.
KHOU reached out to the Montgomery County Fire Marshal to see if the cause of the fire had been determined but had not heard back by the time the story aired.
If you'd like to help, you can send money to Rebecca's Venmo account: @Beculakelley.