- A family's Ogden home faces demolition after a brush fire caused severe damage.
- The 9th Street Fire, allegedly started by illegal fireworks, is under investigation.
- The family escaped with their lives but lost possessions; they seek help via GoFundMe.
OGDEN — Family members said Monday their home would have to be demolished after a brush fire spread to it over the weekend and caused extensive damage.
The 9th Street Fire broke out early Sunday, and firefighters said it appeared the fire had been started by fireworks set in an area where it was illegal.
Ogden Fire Deputy Chief Mike Slater said Monday afternoon that investigators were still working to identify a suspect.
The home near Maxfield Drive that was damaged by the fire stood behind yellow caution tape Monday afternoon, and Jasmin Santamaria said her family barely escaped before the flames tore through the house.
"We would have been one minute late, and it would have collapsed on top of us," Santamaria said during an interview with KSL-TV. "The basement is flooded completely — 67 inches of water — and they're going to demolish the house completely."
She said while she and other family members made it out with their lives, they lost practically all their possessions — a cruel blow after arriving in Utah only eight months earlier.
"We moved from Florida to escape natural disasters, hurricanes every year, every season — and now this," Santamaria said. "It's hard to process how one minute you are happy, giggles, bonding with family and the other one is escaping not to die."
Related:
Ogden fireworks blaze severely damages home, torches 3-5 acres of land
Fireworks caused a blaze in Ogden, severely damaging a home and burning 3-5 acres.While it was unknown who had started the fire, Santamaria had a message for anyone who sets off fireworks in areas where they are illegal.
"There's one reason why there are rules — you don't do fireworks in the mountains for not only the wildlife, but people's lives," Santamaria said. "They ruin other people's lives. Not ruin — but they destroy someone's life."
Santamaria said her family planned to stay at an Airbnb over the next two months as they tried to figure out where they would live next.
The family set up a *GoFundMe to help offset costs as they start over with their lives.
She said she hoped whoever started the fire understood the toll it took.
"I do hope they get their good reflection of (why) they shall never do that again," Santamaria said.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money 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 advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
