SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — Tonight, a family of eight is staying at a hotel after their Safety Harbor mobile home went up in flames. It all stemmed from an electrical issue hidden within the walls of their home.
Gabriela Huapilla lived in the home with her parents and five siblings. She was home when the fire broke out Tuesday.
"We were smelling this big smoke. And there was, like, smoke coming out from the side all the way to the top," Huapilla said . "It was getting bigger and bigger and it was making, like, popping noises. And my mom had to run back to get out as much stuff as she could."
Huapilla said they lost everything in the fire.
"There were some clothes that we were able to save, but there wasn't much," said Huapilla. "It was either all melted or really dirty," she said.
According to Safety Harbor Fire Rescue, the home's electrical circuit was overloaded in the area of the house where their washer and dryer and A/C units were.
Huapilla said the A/C unit had begun to act strangely the day before the fire.
"Monday, the A/C had been bugging out, I think, and it was making weird noises and it wouldn't turn on after a while," she said.
Safety Harbor Electrical Contractor Tim Kosloski said signs of an electrical fire threat include malfunctioning appliances, lights dimming or flickering, hot outlets and unusual odors.
"Whenever you upgrade your air conditioning unit, you have to make sure that the wire size is compatible for the air conditioner," Kosloski said. "The problem is the actual circuits. Whenever you have a circuit where the wire size doesn't match what the load is, then you have a problem with heat."
Kosloski said if you have any doubt about your wiring, call a professional.
"Always, if you have a question or if you're not sure, turn that breaker off and call somebody," Kosloski said.
Meanwhile, while the Huapilla family hopes others may learn from their loss, they're grateful for the community support.
"I'm just glad everyone's donating and doing their best to help us out," Huapilla said.
The fire remains under investigation.
The family is being helped by the Red Cross and is also fundraising as they work to start over. If you'd like to help support the family through this difficult time, you can find their GoFundMe page here.