Unwelcome fresh start: Fire on New Year's Eve destroys home

Friday, Jan. 22, 2016

DRAPER —  New Year’s Eve is usually a time of memories, parties, resolutions and expectations for what the new year will bring, that wasn’t the case this year for the Montoya de Gomez family.

A phone call around 3 p.m. on Dec. 31 from a frantic senior student at Juan Diego Catholic High School changed their lives forever.

“I was at work when my phone rang,” said Geri Montoya. “It was my daughter, telling me that our house was on fire.”

Her son, daughter and pregnant sister-in-law were all at home when the fire started, but they all managed to get out of the house without harm.

“My son went running upstairs, yelling to wake up my daughter, who was taking a nap,” said Montoya, “We also had four Chihuahuas and three parakeets.”

When her son started getting the pets out of the house by opening the door, it caused the fired to expand more due to the contact with the air.

“He was able to get the dogs out, but all the birds died,” Montoya said, adding that the fire might have been caused by a plug in the downstairs room, which was being renovated to receive the newest member of the family, who is expected to be born in a few months.

“The insurance company has sent three different adjusters because they have said that it was a total loss,” said Montoya, remembering that just last year she made the final payment for the house after many years of working hard to own it.

Now the Montoya family has to start over from the most basic items. In the meantime, they are staying at her oldest son’s house.

In addition to all the stress of the situation, weeks after trying to figure out what was next for them, Montoya lost her job.

“I can’t cry anymore.  ... I know things happen for a reason and this is the time for a new beginning,” said Montoya, who is not letting all the challenges that they have faced get her down.

“I know through the faith one can survive and keep on going,” said Montoya, who has been Catholic all her life. “We always have to see the important things that we have, such as our family. I have my family. I lost my pets but I thank God every day that they are with me. … Sometimes we don’t remember that life can be very short and in any second we can lose a loved one.”

“Sometimes we just need a little help,” said Beth Clemenger, a Juan Diego CHS counselor, who helped Montoya’s daughter cope with the situation.