Citrus Heights family of six unsure of future after house fire

By Sara Beth Williams–
Nahtima Wyant, her boyfriend Gary Hurd, and their four children and two dogs, were all recently displaced in a house fire that occurred early on Saturday, March 15 in Citrus Heights. The fire destroyed everything they owned and killed one of the family’s dogs.

In an interview with The Sentinel, Wyant said the future feels very uncertain, but she’s holding out hope. The family had just moved into the home as renters, and Wyant was in the process of bringing a load of belongings back to the house.

Prior to moving in, Wyant said she purchased multiple appliances and furniture for the home and had used up all of her savings to pay for the deposit and new belongings to fill the house. Now, the family is trying to rebuild and figure out the next step. A GoFundMe page has been established for the family to help raise money for housing.

The fire occurred in the early morning hours on a Saturday. Wyant said her daughters and youngest son had friends sleeping over for the night. She was not home when her daughter contacted her, frantic, saying that the house was on fire. Wyant said her daughters and their friends, four in total, broke through a window to escape their bedroom, which was filling with smoke.

On the other side of the house, her youngest son woke up and, while walking into the kitchen, discovered that the house was already partially on fire. He woke up the rest of the people in the house, and they escaped through the front door. The family then reunited outside, but one of the daughters’ dogs never made it out of the house.

Later, Wyant said she discovered that a floor vent in the laundry room, which was located right next to her daughter’s room, had caused the fire after a large pile of bags was moved on top of the vent earlier in the night.

“This rocked our world,” Wyant said, adding that the Red Cross had provided housing in a motel in Rancho Cordova for several days. She said they are now paying out of pocket to continue staying at the motel because they have nowhere else to go yet. Wyant has applied for housing and indicated that she was displaced involuntarily by a disaster, hoping it might move her up on the list.

Hurd is also continuing to work but Wyant is unable to work without a laptop, which was destroyed in the fire, she said. Hurd is a handyman.

“Something will happen; God’s going to open up the door,” Wyant said, adding that her kids are devastated, but she continues to try and encourage them.

Though the family has lost almost all of their material possessions, their most immediate need is housing, Wyant said. Wyant’s brother, Royal Corralejo, who lives in the Bay Area with his wife, set up a GoFundMe page to help. The money will be used specifically for moving costs and a deposit, if needed, on another rental home.

As of Thursday, Wyant was still attempting to contact the owner of the home and did not know whether the owner had homeowner’s insurance. The family had been acquaintances with the property manager, who lived on the same lot in another structure and had helped them move in, Wyant said. According to real estate site Zillow, the three-bedroom, two-bath home sits on a 1.45-acre lot along with a detached two-car garage and workshop.

“You have to be thankful we’re here. We didn’t lose one person. But the Lord did not take everything that I couldn’t live without. I could live without everything I lost, but I could never live without my children. I thank God that He protected my children,” Wyant said.

Fundraiser disclaimer: The Sentinel urges readers to use discernment in giving money to online fundraisers. Stories on The Sentinel may reference fundraiser pages as sources of information, but The Sentinel cannot assure that funds donated will be applied for the benefit of the person(s) named as beneficiaries.