A fire destroyed a Hidalgo family's home early Sunday morning, leaving them to pick up the pieces and figure out what comes next.

The fire started before 3 a.m. on Sunday at a home on Datil Avenue and quickly spread to the neighboring house where Liliana Piña lived with her mother, brother, sister-in-law, and their 1-year-old child.

"We didn't expect this tragedy," Piña said.

The family was asleep when the fire started. Piña said the smoke woke her brother up.

"He thought it was already early, that it was time to get up and make breakfast, but that wasn't the case," Piña said. "Instead, when he got up, he saw and realized that the house was already on fire."

The family escaped but lost nearly everything. Furniture, appliances, and irreplaceable pieces of their lives are gone.

"It's a moment that changes your life and your daily routine — your work, your daily activities, everything you do each day is affected," Piña said.

The roof of the home is badly damaged. The family is now sifting through debris, trying to recover what little remains.

"We grew up here. This place was built through the hard work of my dad and my grandfather," Piña said.

The Hidalgo Police Department said the fire started at the home next door and quickly spread. Firefighters put out the fire in about 30 minutes.

While the house where the fire originated is a total loss, the Piña family’s home also sustained severe damage.

Piña's mother, Ofelia Guerra, said the situation is even more difficult because she is living with a disability, making recovery even harder.

"I'm unemployed and living off my welfare benefits, so it's hard to make ends meet," Guerra said. "I'm doing okay, thank God, but I am sad."

The family said they are grateful for the support they have received from the community during this difficult time.

"These days, it's all about cleaning up, getting rid of things and saving as many memories as we can — things that are meaningful to us," Piña said.

The family has received help from the American Red Cross and donations from the community. They are staying with another relative.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Separate GoFundMe pages have been set up to help Piña's family and the family of Hector Guerra, the owners of the neighboring home.

Watch the video above for the full story.