Frankfort, IL firefighters save teenage girl's Taylor Swift concert dress from destructive house fire on Amhearst Court

FRANKFORT, Ill. (WLS) -- South suburban firefighters saved a teenage girl's beloved Taylor Swift concert dress from a destructive house fire early Saturday.

A homeowner's nightmare became reality that night when flames burst from the garage of their Frankfort home. The family said the home is a total loss, but because of the help of their neighbors and the fire department, some of their most sentimental and valuable belongings were saved, along with that dress.

Grace Farrell was home with her friend and grandpa just before midnight as her parents were out of town, and within minutes, their home on Amhearst Court went up in flames.

"We were brushing our teeth, getting ready to go to bed, and the lights flickered, sounded like someone was breaking into the house," Grace said. "It was just a shock factor because me and my friends were down here 15 minutes prior."

Thanks to the quick work from Frankfort fire crews, everyone made it out safely. As Grace watched them finally put out the fire, she realized what was inside: her retainer and a dress for the Taylor swift concert she was set to attend the next day.

"They were telling me on the phone they're not going, and I said, 'Absolutely not. You're going and you're going to enjoy your life," said Cheryl Farrell, Grace's mom.

Grace asked to go back inside, and that's when firefighters Brian Adcock and Jake Smith took matters into their own hands.

"The fire was actually on the other side of her wall in the bedroom, so I told her it wasn't safe to go in, and we went up there and got what she needed," Adcock said.

While seemingly everything just changed for the Farrell family, Adcock's heroic efforts brought a few hours of normalcy and the memory of a lifetime to the 17-year-old girl.

"I was just speechless, because I was not expecting to be there that night in that dress," Grace said.

"That is unbelievable for that man to do that, to understand a 17-year-old and the importance of what they feel and how excited they get," Cheryl added.

Cheryl and her husband returned to find their neighbors salvaging all the sentimental items from their home, like photos, checkbooks and sports memorabilia. Most of it was unharmed.

It was sigh of relief as this family figures out what's next.

"It'll be fine. It's all material. They're alive. My dog's alive," Cheryl said.

Grace said the concert was everything she hoped for. Meanwhile, the family has been handling next steps to recover what they can from the home.