Firefighters prepare to enter the charred remains of the house on Passley Road. The Pilot/Jef Hatch

“I thought it was a wreck down on the highway,” he said. “I came outside and the whole garage was on fire.”

Siegers got his daughter and his dog out of the house and then called 911 to report the fire. 

“Everybody got out safe,” he said, “and then I moved my cars from in front of the garage over to the side of the house so they’d be safe.”

Both Brookings and Harbor fire departments arrived on scene to find the garage fully engulfed and the fire spreading to the house.

“Our task is to stop a fire from creating anymore damage than it has already done when we arrive,” Brookings Fire Chief Bill Sharp said. “We did that. We stopped it from consuming the whole house.”

An unknown construction issue hampered the effort, though, as the fire continued to move though the space between the original roof and a new one built approximately 1 foot above it.

“The fire department had a hell of a time with that fire,” Siegers said. “Someone put a new roof on at one time and they couldn’t get to the fire in between the two roofs.

 “I think they did an excellent job with what they had to work with,” he added.

Sharp concurred.

“It was a stubborn fire,” he said. “It was traveling between the two roofs and we couldn’t get to it because the instability of the roof kept us from getting on it, and the ceiling was falling on us when we were inside.

“Everything that received damage did so before we arrived on scene.”

While the fire crews were hampered, they were still able to keep the south end of the house – containing two bedrooms and a bathroom – from being consumed, but  the house was a complete loss, according to Sharp.

“Based on my experience the house was destroyed,” he said. “The south end may be salvageable, but it was probably 75 percent damaged.”

The cause of the fire is still undetermined, but Sharp said they figured it began in the garage, based on Siegers’ testimony. 

While everyone got out safely, Siegers’ daughter was transported to the hospital for complications stemming from her epilepsy, but it was precautionary rather than reactionary, according to Siegers.

Siegers had been in the house for only six months before the fire, but has lived in Brookings for approximately 20 years.

“I own Don’s Auto Doctor out on 101,” he said. “I share a lot with 101 Auto Sales.”

Community support was immediate, and has been immense for the Siegers family in the wake of the complete loss of the their belongings.

“People have donated more furniture and clothes than I had before,” Siegers said. “I left work yesterday and my truck was so packed with stuff.”

Siegers tried to salvage some of his belongings, but even after washing them he said they smelled so bad he had to throw them out.

“Everything is gone,” he added.

The trio has already found another home in which to live and they have been touched by the outpouring of support from the community, Siegers said. 

“I had a biker that I didn’t even know come in to the shop riding his Harley, and he said to me ‘I hear you had a little trouble.’ I told him yes, but we had it covered,  and he went back to his bike and pulled out a gift card from Fred Meyer,” Siegers said. “He had gone around to his buddies and they had all donated to give us a $250 gift certificate.”

“Things are great,” Siegers added. “I’m so grateful for all the help that all the people have given me.”