A family of three escaped a mobile home fire in the Edinburg area after a generator is believed to have sparked the blaze early Monday morning.

The fire started around 3:30 a.m. at a home on Adventure Avenue near North Doolittle Road, according to the Edinburg Fire Department. The home is now a pile of twisted metal and debris.

Tomas Rojas, 61, lived on the property for more than 20 years. He and his grandson were the only ones inside when the fire broke out.

"Material things can be replaced, but life is different, and we thank God that nothing happened to the two of us," Rojas said.

Rojas said he checked the generator before going to sleep that night. He made sure the cables weren't frayed or damaged.

"I woke up and told him that it sounded like it was raining today, but it was actually the fire crackling that was the noise it was making," Rojas said.

The family used the generator because the mobile home didn't have electricity. The Hidalgo County Fire Marshal believes the generator may have caused the fire.

Rojas lost his car, the tools he uses to make a living, and an RV the family used for storage.

"We had about four TVs, a stereo, speakers for parties, and all sorts of other stuff, and I had a lot of tools from my previous job," Rojas said.

The Edinburg Fire Department is urging people to follow safety tips when using generators.

"We want to keep that generator at least 20 feet away from the house. No closer than that because that carbon monoxide gas is colorless and odorless," Lt. Adrian Cisneros said. "It can creep in through doors or windows, and it's a silent killer, unfortunately."

Officials warn never to use a generator in a garage, covered patio, or near a home's entryway.

"As long as they're functioning correctly and they're looked over thoroughly by an approved technician, they should be able to keep running for the life of that generator," Cisneros said.

Rojas is staying at a friend's home while trying to find a new place to live.

"You have to be extremely careful about where you put it, because this could have been avoided," Rojas said.

The Red Cross gave the family a $700 gift card to help with immediate expenses.

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