A new mom in California is trying to find the good in a truly horrific situation. Violeta Nieto was in her motorhome with her newborn daughter when suddenly, she saw sparks coming out of her mobile home before the space started filling with smoke. Desperate to make sure she got her daughter to safety, she fled the home. She had no idea she was going to lose everything she owned. Not even a week after welcoming her baby into the world, her world was turned upside down, leaving her with nothing but her precious little one. Now, she is forced to rebuild her life while also caring for her baby and healing from recently giving birth, but the new mom is staying positive.
“It just started sparking up in the bottom drawer,” Nieto told KGTV. “When I saw the smoke filling up and just more coming out, I ran with my baby. That’s what mattered – the most important thing.”
The mom explained that she was sitting at home nursing her 4-day-old daughter Tahlia, on December 4, 2025. According to Nieto, the fire started after her landlord tried to restore power to her mobile home after it had gone out the night before.
Within 10 minutes, Nieto’s home was engulfed in flames. Everything she owned was destroyed, including her daughter’s clothes and supplies and her footprints from the hospital.
“My life was in there – pictures, her stuff from the hospital, her clothes, everything was in there. My whole life. So, it was a lot,” she shared with the outlet.
The new mom didn’t have renter’s insurance and estimates that she lost about $10,000 worth of possessions. But despite the absolute tragedy that befell her, she’s keeping her outlook positive.
“I’m just grateful me and the baby are good. Having her makes me feel like I have everything,” she said.
According to a report from KNSD, Nieto had lived in that mobile home since she was 14. None of her belongings survived the fire.
“My tablet, my phone and her clothes — everything was in there. All of our stuff is in there,” she told the outlet. “Paperwork from the hospital. Her bag.”
When the fire broke out, Nieto said she wrapped up her baby girl in her sweater and got away quickly. Right now, her biggest concern is her little one’s health. “That’s what I was more worried about, her breathing the smoke,” she explained.
The North County Fire Protection District is investigating the fire. Meanwhile, Nieto’s sister has started a GoFundMe account to help the mom and her baby back on their feet. “Violeta is a brand-new mother, recovering from childbirth and postpartum healing, and she is currently unable to work,” wrote Tania Cisneros.
“She now faces the unimaginable challenge of caring for her newborn with absolutely nothing left,” Cisneros continued. The funds will go to “baby essentials, personal necessities, her phone and laptop, and contribute to securing a safe space for her and her newborn.”
