Taylorsville family credits neighbors for saving their lives after house goes up in flames
Dec 20, 2022, 5:08 PM | Updated: 7:46 pm
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — Several neighbors are being credited for helping to save the lives of a Taylorsville family after their home went up in flames.
It happened just after 10 p.m. Monday in the area of 6100 South and 3800 West.
Screams of, “Get them out of there! Get them out,” could be heard from a Ring camera across the street from the home that caught fire, as neighbors quickly started to pound on windows and doors to try and wake the family and get them out.
“You just don’t think, and I just knew there were people and children [in there],” said Holly Osborne, who ended up jumping in a window well to enter into the basement. “Don’t even know what I would do if it were my kids.”
Very Sad.. 5 homes catch fire just since last night.. leaving families homeless just days before Christmas. Neighbors in this Taylorsville fire credited for saving lives. pic.twitter.com/aX3OtQWw6i
— Dan Rascon (@TVDanRascon) December 20, 2022
One member of the family told KSL TV Tuesday that eight family members were inside the home when the fire broke out — some in the basement, others upstairs. The fire was moving so quickly that the parents had to jump from the second-story bedroom window.
Dustin, who lives across the street, fractured his wrist and injured his chest catching the mom as she fell headfirst.
“Her head went in my arms like that and then we went down,” he said. “If she would have hit the floor, she would be dead right now.”
And all of this was happening while the sound of explosions could be heard inside the home.
“There was ammunition. There was constant pops,” Osborne said.
Right after the family got out, the house went up in flames.
“I think it’s just a miracle we got there in time,” said Holly’s husband, Marshall Osborne, who also helped in the rescue.
The family told KSL TV that if neighbors didn’t jump in to help, some may not have made it out.
The dad and a daughter are still in the hospital as of Tuesday night. They are expected to be OK.
Neighbors said don’t call them heroes.
“I’m not a hero, just glad they got out alive,” Dustin said. “That’s what humans should do.”
“I was just glad we were all here,” Marshall said.
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, but the home and all it’s belongings were destroyed.
“So heavy to think, that not just before Christmas, but their lives are completely torn apart at this point. The neighborhood is banning together, the [church congregation] is banning together. We are going to do everything we can to help them out,” Osborne said.