CLEMMONS, N.C. —
Thuy Pham, the owner of Deluxe Nails & Spa in Clemmons, said she had just arrived to start her day and was approaching the building when she saw a haze through the window.
She said she immediately rushed in to try and put it out, and that's when the inevitable happened, leaving her with severe second-degree burns and unforgettable scars.
"I don’t want to lose my business. I tried to stop it, and suddenly the flare just came and hit my face," said Pham.
Pham said the only thing she could think about was trying to save her livelihood, the family business.
"I left, and then one of the employees came and said, 'What happened?" and I was like, 'The shop is on fire,'" said Pham.
The Forsyth County Fire Marshal ruled the fire was due to a multi-outlet power strip failure.
Inside the salon, Pham knew the danger was real, seeing nothing but flames.
She recalled all of the flammable chemicals and items in the supply closet, such as acetone, alcohol, wax cotton balls and many more. Pham feared an explosion.
But through it all, her injuries weren't her main concern.
"I was not concerned about my face, my arm or anything, I was just like OMG, my business," said Pham.
She credits a phone alarm near the front of the shop with helping guide her to her belongings and safety.
Day by day, her face is healing, but she says this entire ordeal was a wake-up call.
"This is like God’s way to say, 'Thuy, you’ve been doing too much, you need to sit your butt down and just rest,'" said Pham.
Through it all, her clients and family have kept her spirits high, reminding her that the community will stand by her through this tough time.
Pham said she is grateful for the community's love and support during this time, and she is looking to find ways to get the business back up and running as soon as she is cleared to do so.
For more information on how you can support Thuy's road to recovery, click here.
Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.
Trending Stories