LOCAL NEWS

Heber City community helps family that lost historic heirloom home in fire

Sep 5, 2022, 7:47 PM | Updated: Sep 6, 2022, 6:09 am

HEBER CITY, UtahA Heber family is thanking the community after a house that has been passed down through the family for generations over 100 years burned down in a fire over the weekend. 

The family is trying to figure out what’s next, and on Monday returned to the spot where they watched their house burn just two days prior.

Taking shade in the neighbor’s yard next door, Allyson Larson spent her Labor Day holiday filled with stress.

“It’s Labor Day, but we have no shower, we have no bathroom,” Larson said. “You can’t go in the house because it’s ruined.”

Yellow caution tape blocked off the property, but the damage was apparent from the sidewalk. All of the windows were boarded up and the home’s roof had collapsed in the back. The outside walls were covered with black soot, and water still soaked the driveway.

Larson explained that she and her granddaughters left their home Saturday afternoon, and an hour later, they got a call that the garage caught fire. It spread to the rest of the home.

“I’m like, it can’t be true, I was just there!” she recounted.

Wasatch firefighters responded, saving one of their cats — a kitten — that was trapped in the home. The Larsons’ second cat ran away and resurfaced later on.

Heber house catches on fire, crews save a ‘lucky’ cat

Larson said the fire department told her the fire started somewhere in the garage, but they’re still figuring out the exact cause.

The cats are all the Larsons have left.

“Everything you own’s in there, you know, and now it’s all gone,” Larson said. “I told somebody, ‘You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.'”

What Allyson lost dates back over 100 years.

“My great-grandfather had a blacksmith shop there,” she explained.

She believed that was in the early 1900s.

Her parents ended up with the home in the 1970s, raising Allyson and her sister there.

The house was passed down to Allyson and she has lived there for the past three decades.

At the time of the fire, three generations were living in the historic family house, including Allyson’s husband, daughter, and three granddaughters. Now, all of that is gone.

“I just don’t know what to say, and I’m never a loss for words. But I am now,” Larson said.

As Larson and her family find somewhere else to live, they’re finding that the community’s been quick to jump in and help.

On Monday afternoon, a few neighbors and community members stopped by to give Allyson clothing donations, gift cards, cash for the granddaughters to buy clothes for school, and cards with prayers and well wishes.

In addition to the donations that have been coming in, a GoFundMe* has been set up to help Larson and her family recover from the fire.

One man on a motorcycle even brought cat nip treats for the family’s two kitties.

The stress Allyson had been feeling all day started to turn into gratitude.

“I’ve got good neighbors,” she said, adding with a smile, “that’s what matters.”


*KSL TV 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 advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

[File] Utah Highway Patrol State Trooper car (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)...

Larry D. Curtis

Child struck, critically injured by tractor near Coalville

A tractor hit a 5-year-old boy who darted into the road, critically injuring the child.

12 months ago

(FILE) Police vehicles are parked outside the South Jordan Police Department on Friday, April 24, 2...

Michael Houck

Police: Three teens hospitalized after crashing into wall in South Jordan

Three teenagers were injured after crashing into a concrete wall Tuesday morning, police say.

12 months ago

Elephants Zuri and Christie will be transferred from Utah's Hogle Zoo to another accredited facilti...

Josh Ellis

Elephants leaving Utah’s Hogle Zoo after more than 100 years of care

Utah's Hogle Zoo elephants Christie and Zuri will be transferred to another accredited zoo, ending the zoo's continuous care of elephants after more than 100 years.

12 months ago

The town of Hideout wants to annex hundreds of acres from Summit County and Wasatch County, includi...

Michael Houck

Landowners in-between Hideout and Kamas file for township

A group of Summit County landowners filed to incorporate as a new town called West Hills Tuesday.

12 months ago

(Chopper 5)...

Debbie Worthen

Residents meet with Draper leaders to find out what’s next for neighborhood after landslide

Dozens of Suncrest residents met with Draper city leaders for a town hall-style meeting two weeks after the ground below two homes collapsed and sent them sliding down the mountainside.

12 months ago

Flooding temporarily closed state Route 39 in Ogden Canyon Tuesday morning. (Utah Department of Pub...

Josh Ellis

Utah roads, parks close due to flooding and high runoff levels

Several roads were closed due to flooding Tuesday morning, and warm temperatures will keep rivers and creeks running high throughout the day.

12 months ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...

Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.

Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...

Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.

notebook with password notes highlighted...

PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.

Heber City community helps family that lost historic heirloom home in fire