SOMERSET, Texas — For years, Juanita Vallejo has been chopping wood for barbecue joints across the area, selling it for $5 a crate.
"I'm not about just trying to show you wood. I'm about, you know, 'What kind of wood are you looking for?'" she said. "What do you need the wood for? If you just want it to burn, to barbecue, for heat, flavor. I know about that."
She moved her mobile home of 20-plus years to a new property in Somerset, 20 miles south of San Antonio.
"We're just hard-working people like everybody out there that are just working hard and want the best for themselves as well," Vallejo said.
On Dec. 12 a fire destroyed her mobile home, her belongings, and most of the tools she and her husband use to make a living. According to an initial report from the Atascosa County Fire Marshal's Office, the flames started at her neighbor's home.
"When I came out here, my husband came out with the fire extinguisher," Vallejo recalled. "But of course, a fire extinguisher was just not meant for nothing like this. It's only for a house, so the fire just took off so fast. We were trying to look for a hammer. We're like, 'We don't even have a hammer.'"
It's resulted in a heartbreaking and emotional holiday season for the couple, who are now trying to rebuild.
"It saddens me that we're starting new, and it is hard," she said. "Nobody will know until you're there. I feel like if I take two steps forward, it's pushing me back."
The family has created a GoFundMe for those looking to help the family.