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'We lost it all': Mesa home burns down less than 24 hours after couple moves in

The couple lost everything they owned in the fire.

MESA, Ariz. — A Mesa home now blackened by soot was once a new beginning for Elizabeth and Brian Petrie.

The morning after moving into their new home near Val Vista Drive and Main Street, the couple left to drop off their moving truck. When they returned, their trailer was engulfed in flames.

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“I couldn’t believe that our home, in a matter of minutes, was gone," Elizabeth Petrie said. "I couldn’t even stand there anymore. I had to go around the corner and sit in the van because I was watching everything burn, our whole life.”

Charles Naumann helped the couple move. He was inside the home when the fire started. He was able to quickly grab the dog and run outside, but not before getting burned on his hand, arm and face.

“I had to come out, because the smoke was too thick and the flames were up on me already," Naumann said.

The couple said Mesa firefighters initially had the fire mostly contained.

"(The truck) ran out of water," Elizabeth Petrie said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

“Everything in the home is black. There’s soot everywhere. There’s nothing that’s not covered in soot," Elizabeth Petrie said.

Everything in the home, and Brian Petrie's two motorcycles. He is paraplegic and the bikes are customized for him.

“It is set up for him to ride, which as you can see is not an option anymore," Elizabeth Petrie said.

Elizabeth Petrie said the home wasn't insured yet and they'd like to rebuild.

The couple is forced to start over again, but this time with nothing.

“We lost it all," Elizabeth Petrie said.

 A GoFundMe page was created to help the family start over. Click here to donate.

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