Firefighters say someone intentionally started fire that displaced Aurora family of five

A damaging fire has left one Aurora family without a home, and now firefighters suspect that someone intentionally started that fire.

The fire started Saturday night at a home near Montview Boulevard and Dunkirk Street in Aurora, then spread to a second home next door where the Ponce family lived.

"It is a nightmare because it's one thing after another, after another," said Gloria Ponce.

It was just a regular Saturday evening when Ponce was watching television with her husband around 7:30 p.m. Her husband got up, walked to the kitchen, and saw an orange glow reflecting off a sliding glass door. That's when they saw the neighbor's home on fire.

"When the glass shatters, he's like, 'Yeah, I need to get out,'" said Ponce. "There's no time to think. We left with no shoes on; you take nothing. We took nothing."

Ponce then began getting everyone out of the home, including her two-year-old son. She called 911, got her family in the car, and saw the fire spread to her home from down the street.

"The wind blew the fire, and my roof just went up in flames. The top level is all barbecued and wet, drywall is hanging, insulation is out," said Ponce.

The fire ripped through the top floor, but the damage is seen throughout the entire home. What's left behind is extensive fire and water damage and belongings that cannot be saved.

"It's just super sad; we can't keep any of this," said Ponce.

On Friday, she returned home to assess the damage. As she was entering, she noticed someone had broken into her home. Half a dozen officers then responded.

"That's been our biggest worry, that someone is going to want to come inside. Someone knew exactly what they were looking for because they went for one thing, so police are hopefully investigating," said Ponce.

It's a home where she and her family have lived for about eight years. With help from the Red Cross, the family is now staying in a hotel and picking up the pieces.

"I've been hoping that I wake up the next day, and it's just been a nightmare. It's not," said Ponce.

The Aurora Fire Department says the fire was intentionally set and human-caused.

The family is now raising money to help cover expenses as they recover from the fire.