<I>KEVIN HEIMBIGNER photo</I><BR>Tera Query (left), Amber Torppa, and Dannette Rogers are but a few of the many helpful Bank of Pacific employees who are aiding in receiving donations to help the Ike and MaryBeth Queral family of Naselle to recover from losing their family home by fire. Donations can be made at any branch of BOP.

NASELLE – A Naselle house was completely destroyed by a midday fire last Tuesday, Jan. 2. The home of Isaac “Ike” and Mary Beth Queral at 25 Cougar Park Lane was totally involved in fire by the time it was reported and the Naselle Volunteer Fire Department was called to the scene. Mary Beth is superintendent of Naselle Youth Camp.

“The house was completely involved (in fire) when we arrived on the scene,” Naselle Volunteer Fire Department Chief Doug Sandel said. “We had 12 firefighters respond with two trucks and a tanker and the Grays River and Cathlamet departments each sent down a tanker. With the three tankers and the ready availability of water from Salmon Creek, we had plenty of water. Water was not a problem but the house was so fully involved by the time that the alarm was turned in, there wasn’t much that could be done to save the house.”

The Queral family was away from home for the holidays, visiting family and vacationing in Hawaii. No one was home or near the house to sound the alarm when the fire first started, giving the fire a tremendous head start. The first person to see the fire and turn in the alarm was Dick Taft, who owns vacation cabins at the end of Cougar Lane and happened to be driving to his property when he noticed the fire.

Norm Penttila, the Querals’ nearest neighbor, said that he had been next door at another neighbor’s home and when walking back to his residence he noticed Taft’s truck stopped in the middle of the road and wondered why he had parked there.

Upon going into his house, his wife Carol quickly informed him of the fire. He found it hard to believe, as he had noticed nothing even though the burning house was only 50 yards beyond his home behind some trees. Quickly going back outside, Penttila was then able to see the smoke and flames from the burning house.

By the time the Naselle Volunteer Fire Department arrived, the attached garage and home were completely involved in the fire. Two of the Querals’ cars were parked right next to the garage in harm’s way. Another of Querals’ neighbors, Cliff Kilponen, as well as volunteer fireman Bert Haven and others were able to roll one car back and then attach a line to the other car and drag it back using Kilponen’s pickup, saving the vehicles from destruction or major fire damage.

Fire Chief Sandel also said that the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.