SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – A wedding gown remains unscathed after braving an inferno in Utah, according to the Unified Fire Authority.
On June 16, a three-alarm fire took over a construction site in Millcreek, in Salt Lake County, prompting over 60 firefighters and the U.S. Department of Defense to clear up the scene and investigate the cause.
As the fire raged, flames trickled down to a nearby commercial strip mall, causing damage to a couple of stores in the area — one of the stores being Jung’s Alterations.
The shop was also where Millcreek resident Diana Goedhart dropped off her wedding dress for some adjustments, unaware of what would happen a day later.
“I’m getting married in just over a week and my wedding dress was being altered and I was supposed to pick it up today … I was getting my hair done yesterday and they said there was this huge fire,” Goedhart said.
According to officials, Goedhart watched as flames ripped through the commercial site, first feeling sorrow for the store owners and residents in the area. She later drove over to the alteration shop to pick up her gown, where she discovered multiple roads closed and realized the proximity of the fire to the shop.
Goedhart told UFA, at that moment, she quickly realized a potential loss: her wedding dress.
“I got really anxious, I thought to myself, what if my dress also burned down? I pulled up and I talked to captain Jen, and she said that, you know, the businesses were in bad shape but there could be a chance where my dress survived,” the bride-to-be said.
Upon realizing the possibility of finding an entirely new wedding dress seven days before her big day, Goedhart claimed she “full-blown cried and panicked.”
“I had all my women friends, mom’s friends, trying to find me new wedding dresses,” Goedhart said.
But little did Goedhart know, upon hearing her story, UFA sent six firefighters into the fire damaged shop and discovered the wedding dress in absolute mint condition.
“They came out with my dress in it’s beautiful pink plastic bag. I don’t think I have ever jumped so high or been so excited,” she exclaimed.
The bride-to-be stressed her gratitude, appreciation, and support towards the Unified Fire Authority team and adds that they have made her wedding day more than memorable.