WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — On Christmas Eve, while many families were wrapping gifts, cooking, and preparing to celebrate, one family in West Valley lost nearly everything in a house fire.
“You never expect something like this to happen to you, and when it finally does, you’re not prepared," Leila Callaway, a daughter-in-law of the family, said Saturday.
Callaway got a call that morning that her in-laws’ house near 3800 South and 2500 West was on fire. She rushed over to their home to find that a fire that started inside her family’s garage had blown out a window — causing soot and smoke damage throughout the entire house.
She says six people, including two kids, along with seven pets, were displaced when the fire broke out on Christmas Eve.
“Was definitely not a normal Christmas," Callaway said. “It’s just a lot of different emotions."
Mandy Hernandez, who lives next door, was relaxing on the couch that morning when she smelled something burning.
“We look over and see the black flames coming out of the closed garage," she said.
Callaway says her family has stayed in hotels, while their seven pets are spread across different homes. They were told by their insurance company that it could take up to six months before they can return home.
“Community really matters and nowadays I don’t think we see a lot of that, but we definitely saw that this Christmas Eve," she said.
Callaway says neighbors showed up with food, water, and supplies the day of the fire. They’ve set up a GoFundMe for people to share and donate to.
“You never know what it’s going to be like going from just relaxing and getting ready to celebrate the holidays and cook a million dishes, and then have devastation happen right in front of you," Hernandez said.
At this point, the cause of the fire is still unknown.
