Fire in Horizon West apartments displaces families

The Padilla-Garcia family had lived in the same Horizon West apartment for 14 years. So long, in fact, that for two of the children, it’s the only home they’ve known.

And in a horrible blink of an eye, it was gone.

The family’s apartment, along with three others, sustained catastrophic damage Sunday, July 5, when lightning struck their building at Buena Vista Place Apartments. Six other apartments suffered minor damage. In all, 20 units were evacuated.

The Padilla-Garcia family — father Nelson Padilla, mother Lizelba Garcia, and children Jayden, 16, Dayven, 13, and Starly, 8 — wasn’t even home at the time; they were at their church, Regalo de Dios, 50 minutes away. 

In the middle of service, Nelson Padilla received a call from his neighbor. That was unusual, but he dismissed it and decided he’d call back later. 

His phone lit up again. And again. 

His neighbor was sending him messages one after the other, so Padilla stepped outside to see what was happening. 

“I started listening to the message, and she’s screaming, ‘The building is on fire!’” he said. “Then another message saying, ‘I believe it’s your apartment that’s on fire.’”

He panicked. 

He knew he needed to head over to the apartment, but it was storming, and through the chaos, uncertainty and stress, he needed to remain calm. 

The family of five left in the middle of service and started the long drive back home.

Lizelba Garcia, Padilla’s wife, couldn’t believe it.

“I was shaking and crying,” she said. “Then I had some neighbors sending me messages, and we just didn’t know what to do. … It was just like a nightmare. … Driving back home felt like two hours for me.”

As her husband sped home, Garcia watched the feed from her Ring camera as firefighters broke the hallway ceilings to extinguish the blaze.

That’s all she could do.

When the power went out, it took that feed with it.

DEVASTATING DESTRUCTION

Sunday, July 5, was a moist day, with sea breezes coming in, which sparked strong storms with gusty winds and frequent lightning.

Garcia said the neighbor’s sister even felt the electricity going through her body as the lightning struck the apartment complex. 

The fire alarms went off, and residents evacuated the building while Orange County Fire Rescue firefighters worked to put out the blaze. 

When the Padilla-Garcia family finally arrived on scene, they began asking for answers but didn’t receive any for nearly two hours. 

Eventually, they learned what happened. Their unit took the direct hit, which left it in such bad shape they couldn’t even go in to assess the damage.

Garcia’s sister welcomed them over for a couple of days, while Padilla and Garcia figured out next steps. 

A day after the fire, apartment officials told displaced residents they had one day to grab their belongings. They later were given an extra day.

On July 6, they returned to the carcass of their home to rescue what they could. But nothing could prepare them for what they found. Devastating destruction, debris everywhere, ceilings caved in. The damage stretched throughout most of their beloved home.

In-between the insulation, drywall and exposed duct work were remnants of normal life. A pot on the stove ready for the next meal. Knickknacks on a shelf in the dining area. A children’s table with three colorful chairs at the end of the kitchen counter.

The family rented a storage unit and began collecting whatever they could save — the children’s mattresses, which were wrapped in a waterproof cover, and clothes that reeked of smoke. 

But with the fire and water damage, there wasn’t much.

Courtesy Photo

LINGERING UNCERTAINTY

Many families now must start over. After assessing damages to the building, 10 more units also were evacuated. The fire claimed the entire building, which once housed children, teens, elderly, pets and families. 

For 14 years, the Padilla-Garcia family has lived at the same apartment. With three children attending elementary, middle and high school, Padilla and Garcia’s goal is to stay in the area so no more changes are brought upon them. In fact, the family would like to remain at the apartment complex. 

But uncertainty lingers. 

Without renters’ insurance, the family awaits its fate. 

“I have been crying so much,” Garcia said. “It’s still hard for me to process the whole situation. … For at least two of our kids, that’s the only place they know.” 

The hardest part for them, they said, is not having a home. 

“You see it on TV all the time, but you never think it’s going to happen to you,” Padilla said. 

The fire has been especially difficult for their 8-year-old daughter, who cannot quite understand the effects this has on the family. 

She saw the fire, she saw the chaos, but she doesn’t understand they won’t live there any longer. She often asks about her room, her toys and when the family will move back, Padilla said. 

They all are exhausted, frustrated and ready for the nightmare to be over. 

“I see my wife crying a lot ever since that day, my daughter crying a lot, my boys don’t even want to talk about it — they’re in their own world,” Padilla said. “But I have to be calm for my family.” 

Together, through the pain, discomfort and uncertainty, they know they will get through it, because they have one another and God. 

One week after the fire, the family returned to church, and their pastor dedicated the service to talk about what happened, thank God and ensure congregants are grateful for what they have every day. 

“Things happen for a reason, and there’s a better purpose for us,” Padilla added. 

Unfortunately, because of the high cost of living and insurance, Padilla is concerned. 

“But I’m pretty sure that God is going to provide us what we need, and He’s 100% going to find the perfect place for us to live,” he said. “Better things are coming.”

With faith in God, the Padilla-Garcia family is certain they will be OK. 

“I know He has better things for us,”Padilla said. “Things happen, but with God … we can do wonders.” 

And He’s manifested in multiple ways already, he said. 

Seeing neighbors, schools and communities coming together to help the residents of Buena Vista Place Apartments has been a blessing, and it shows that even in the darkest times, no one is ever alone. 

Through this tragedy, the family remains lively and optimistic that the worst already has passed. 

What they’re focused on now is to find a forever home, where their children can grow and create many more memories.