Family loses home in Colorado Grass Fire, horses survive

FORT COLLINS - April 5, 2011 - It was just before midnight Sunday when Deseriah Santallanez had to evacuate her Masonville home due to the Crystal Fire burning west of Fort Collins. The teenager tried to save her horses, but flames got her in way.

"My brother screamed, 'You've gotta get out now!'" Santallanez recalled.

Before Santallanez ran outside she grabbed a few horse halters to be able to rescue her animals.

"I heard a whistle and I thought it might be my mom so I turned around and the top of the tree outside my house exploded," she said. "Another ember came down and caught the side of my hair on fire."

Santallanez started to swat the ember to put it out. She and her parents grabbed their personal belongings, jumped in their truck and headed out.

The family was forced to leave the horses behind. There was no way to get to them.

"My horse screamed at me. I just broke down right there. I knew I wasn't going to get them out. All I could do was pray they would be OK," she said.

As the Santallanez family drove away, 75 mph wind gusts pushed the flames toward them.

"It's amazing we were able to escape," Santallanez said.

When the Santallenz family was able to return to their home, they found their horses alive, standing in a circle.

"They huddled together in our pasture. The grass is short enough that it didn't burn" she said.

The horses suffered a few small burns; nothing too serious.

The horses are staying with the family's Ferrier's friend.

The Santallanezs' were one of 15 families to lose their home in the fire. They say it will take a year to rebuild.

(KUSA-TV © 2011 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)