TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Ashes are what's left of Gerardo and Nicole Castillo's dream countryside home in Porterville.

The house caught fire early Tuesday morning just after midnight, a couple of days before Thanksgiving.

"Sometimes when we stop and it just washes over us, like, we have no home," Nicole said.

"When we left, the house was intact," Gerardo said. "When we came back, the house was roofless."

The couple had been gone for a few hours, fueling up their car and visiting friends.

Thankfully, they decided to take their dogs along for the ride.

"It's a time to reflect and think about those around you because we could've lost each other, we could've lost our pets," Gerardo said. "In just the blink of an eye, we could lose someone we care for. That, we take for granted."

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