Pittsburg family victimized twice; first by fire, then by thieves

PITTSBURG, Calif. - A Pittsburg family is struggling to get back on their feet after a fire destroyed their home and thieves burglarized it.

The couple says they're grateful they escaped with no injuries, but that they lost items that cannot be replaced.

The family home is now boarded up after a fire severely damaged it on June 28.

Daniel and Linda Jones say they've suffered a double blow.

After the fire, thieves broke in twice and stole invaluable items.  

They shared with KTVU video they took that shows the damage inside the home, a place Daniel Jones' grandmother has owned for decades.

"There is no house and we lost pictures. But we have memories," Jones says, "the house has been everything to my family."

Around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, he says he was fixing the kickstand on his new electric scooter in his garage when the battery exploded. It caused a fire that spread quickly.

"It was like the worst nightmare you could imagine. My pregnant wife, my grandmother and my auntie being in the house," Jones says he managed to get everyone out of house including his wife Linda.

The next day, she gave birth to their first child, a boy, two weeks early.

In the days following, the couple says thieves broke into their home twice and stole items including electronics and Linda's engagement and wedding rings.

"That can't be replaced," says Linda through tears.

The couple says the new nursery they created and all the gifts for their baby from family and friends were either damaged or stolen.

"Overall, I'm just trying to be positive, not to stress out," Linda says, "Try not to think about what's lost and be thankful that he's healthy."  

Jones say he's owned electric scooters before and has no idea why the battery exploded.

He says he bought it to commute to work.

The fire also destroyed his car and damaged another vehicle in the driveway.

Still, he's grateful he and his family survived.

"It could have been devastating. Thankfully, it worked out," Jones say his home and car are insured.

But that there is a lot that insurance does not cover. He estimates it'll take a year to rebuild.

He has started a gofundme to move forward.