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SALT LAKE CITY — A home was destroyed, but a special celebration was saved for one Rose Park teenager.
Krystal Bustamante’s family home went up in flames around 3 a.m. Sunday.
Neighbor Hollie McCleeland said, “I looked out the window and I just saw flames shooting up this corner of the building.”
McCleeland captured the blaze on her cellphone video camera.
“It was so huge it looked like it had already jumped these trees. I could just hear gas tanks exploding,” McCleeland said.
The two-alarm fire — which investigators ruled as accidental — started in a shed next to the fourplex near 500 North and Redwood Road, according to Jason Asay with the Salt Lake City Fire Department. Crews arrived to find that the flames had quickly spread to the building, damaging one of the units.
The blaze also caused a carport to collapse and destroyed two cars, Asay said.
Inside the burning home were seven residents — a mother, father and five children, including 15-year-old Krystal Bustamante.
(My father) wanted to go back but we didn't let him. We didn't want him to risk his life for the dress.
–Krystal Bustamante
“I just wanted everyone to get out; I just wanted to leave and not get hurt,” Krystal said. “My mom woke up because she saw the red flames; she yelled, 'The house is on fire!'”
The family rushed out to safety, but there was one special thing left inside.
“(My father) wanted to go back but we didn't let him. We didn't want him to risk his life for the dress,” Krystal said.
The 15-year-old is planning to celebrate her quinceanera, a Hispanic tradition to celebrate a girl transitioning to womanhood, this upcoming weekend, a year later than planned due to a death in the family. She said she’s been rehearsing all month for her party.
“We've been practicing our surprise dance and the father daughter dance,” Krystal said. Her special dress for her big day was inside her burning room. Her father insisted on going back in for the dress, but Krystal talked him out of it. “I was like no, come back just leave the dress! it doesn't matter, leave it.” Krystal said.
After the fire crews from the Salt Lake City Fire Department came and put out the flames, the Bustamantes saw what was left of their home. Krystal’s father walked through the charred remains of the house and discovered his daughter’s quinceanera dress was intact.
“He came out with a smile on his face seeing the dress on the bed laid down,” Krystal said. Firefighters managed to save her special ensemble. Krystal’s quinceanera celebration will now go on as scheduled, she said, all thanks to the brave men and women from the Salt Lake City Fire Department.
The Bustamantes' friends and neighbors have started a *Go Fund Me account to help pay for the damages to their home.
*KSL.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does KSL.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
Contributing: Jessica Ivins
