'This was my worst nightmare': Camper home a total loss following fire

LAKEPOINT, Tooele County — A family in Lakepoint is starting over after the camper they lived in caught fire and was a total loss on Sunday.

Tristin Perkins and her mom had both left for work when the camper they were living in caught fire, with Perkins' four dogs still inside.

"This was my worst nightmare," Perkins said. "The worst thing that could ever possibly happen happened, so I think that if I can get through this, I can get through anything."

Thankfully, Perkins said she had a neighbor at home who let her dogs out while someone at the front desk of Days Inn RV Park by Wyndham Lake Point called Perkins about the fire.

"All of my dogs are safe, and nobody got injured," Perkins said. "I'm very grateful for my neighbor."

Firefighters told Perkins they suspect a loose wire on a furnace sparked and started the fire, but the incident is still under investigation.

Perkins had only been at the RV park for two days and said everything she had was inside the camper.

"I'm grateful for what I do have," Perkins said. "My dogs are safe, I'm safe, my mom is safe, my support group really came through today to show up and show out, so for now it's just picking up the pieces."

Perkins said the RV park refunded the money she put down to stay there, and she's used it for a hotel room, where she will stay for a week. In the meantime, people have offered to buy her food and other necessities while another friend helped out with the dogs.

An online fundraiser at GoFundMe* was set up to help Perkins get back on her feet.

"I'm just truly grateful for the company that I had, for somebody that cared about my things as much as I did, my animals just as much as I did," Perkins said. "I'm just grateful to be here."

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