When 67-year-old Otoniel Gomez realized that his house was on fire, he immediately jumped out of the second-story bedroom window. Otoniel’s wife first smelled the smoke and alerted him. He quickly grabbed a ladder and went to every window to pull out his four family members who were trapped inside.
The fire started on December 5, 2025, at about 1:30 a.m. in Santa Ana, California, and it trapped all five family members on the second floor, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
The Gomez family's pet Chihuahua also escaped the home unharmed as firefighters extinguished the fire. One adult was transported to the hospital for evaluation.
“Open the window, son! Jump!” a father shouted in Spanish as he pounded on the window of his sleeping son, with fire racing through their home.
— OCFA (@OCFireAuthority) December 5, 2025
Five people are alive today thanks to the heroic actions of a 67-year-old man at his home on South Linda Way in @CityofSantaAna. pic.twitter.com/lNWmoJQYLa
In an interview with NBC4 Los Angeles, Otoniel said, "Materials? It's okay. To me, it's the family. We are alive."
One of his daughters added, "He's just a solid guy. Growing up, I never saw him panic or stressed out… There was always a positive attitude."
The Orange County Fire Authority thanked the Costa Mesa Fire Department, Fountain Valley Fire Department, Santa Ana Police Department and the American Red Cross for their assistance in the house fire.
Everyone in the home made it out safely, but they lost everything in the fire and are now homeless. Otoniel's daughter Daisy Valdivia set up a GoFundMe, and the family is reaching out to friends, relatives, the community, and beyond for support.
