5 March 2024
WINFIELD, Kan. (KSNW) – A hair salon and thrift store in Winfield were burned beyond repair over the weekend. It ignited Sunday morning and quickly spread thanks to the strong winds.
In the video above, you can see what’s left of Dreamcatchers Salon in Winfield.
Friends, family, and customers offer support to owner Sara Lawson.
“She knows your kids. She knows all my family. She asks about my daughters every time I’m here. It’s not just a place to get your hair cut. It’s home,” said Jammi Littell, a customer at Dreamcatchers Salon.
“People would stop by just to sit and talk. If people knew you needed something or ‘Hey I know you didn’t eat today, here’s some food.’ Or just to vent even, people would come and cry on our shoulders just cause they knew we were here to listen to them,” said Sadie Pennington, a former employee at Dreamcatchers Salon.
Lawson says she’s had the business for more than 20 years
“She’s a part of me, and she’s always been there through loss, tragedy,” she said.
Although she’s only operated out of this building for one year, the location was special.
“It’s this right here. Being able to look across the street and see where it all started,” said Ronnie Pacha, Lawson’s daughter.
The building across the way is where Lawson used to live with her kids and where her business started.
“There’s no place I’d rather be, and wherever she goes, I’ll go,” said Littell.
“You can’t burn memories and what it represented. we’ll rebuild,” said Lawson.
Lawson says she’s hoping to have another location up and running in about a month, but she’s making all these preparations as she’s still dealing with the reality of losing her business, supplies and income.
She says she feels overwhelmed with grief, loss, and the unknown, but more than that, she says she’s overcome by the support she’s received since the fire.
“All the blessings and the love and the support that everyone has given to us, it means the world to us and that’s what’s gotten us to today and that’s what’s gonna get us into the future,” said Lawson.
Lawson says she’s already looking into moving into a building on Main Street in Winfield.
It took Lawson two decades to curate all her tools and supplies. She will need to replace those when she does open a new location.