Safety Harbor family loses home to electrical fire

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — A family of eight is staying at a hotel tonight after their Safety Harbor mobile home caught fire. It all stemmed from an electrical problem hidden in the walls of their home.

Gabriela Huapilla lived in the house with her parents and five siblings. She was at home when the fire broke out on Tuesday.

“We felt this big smoke. And there was smoke coming out of the side all the way to the top,” Huapilla said. “It was getting bigger and bigger and making popping noises. And my mom had to run back to get out as many things as she could.”

Huapilla said they lost everything in the fire.

“There were some clothes we were able to save, but there wasn’t much,” Huapilla said. “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 home where the washer, dryer and air conditioning units were located.

Huapilla said the air conditioning unit started behaving strangely the day before the fire.

“On Monday the air conditioning had broken, I think, and it was making strange 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 faulty appliances, dimmed or flickering lights, hot outlets and unusual odors.

“Whenever you upgrade your air conditioner, you need to make sure the wire size is compatible with the air conditioner,” Kosloski said. “The problem is the circuits themselves. Anytime you have a circuit where the wire size doesn't match the load, then you have a heat problem.”

Kosloski said if you have any doubts about your wiring, call a professional.

“Always, if you have a question or you're not sure, turn off that breaker and call someone,” Kosloski said.

Meanwhile, while the Huapilla family hopes others can learn from their loss, they are grateful for the community's support.

“I’m just happy that everyone is donating and doing their best to help us,” Huapilla said.

The fire remains under investigation.

The family receives help from the Red Cross and also raises funds to start anew. If you would like to help support the family during this difficult time, you can find their GoFundMe page here.