EDEN VALLEY — After awakening suddenly to a strange orange glow, Randy Smith roused his wife, Gloria, and the five other family members staying at their Sandhagen Road home.
The orange glow came from the burning roof. The fire was discovered just after midnight Monday.
Smith and his family were all safe, but they fled the house with nothing more than their pajamas, said his son, Randy Smith Jr., later Tuesday.
‘There for 30 years’
“They have lived there for 30 years — it was the house all of us kids grew up in,” the younger Smith said.
“They came out with literally nothing — they don’t even have their shoes.
“My sister was living there as a kind of temporary thing with her two kids, so they lost everything as well.
“My mom’s parents were up for a visit, too.”
For now they are staying with family members, but once insurance adjusters evaluate the home, they will consider rebuilding at the site at 468 Sandhagen Road, in the Eden Valley area between Port Angeles and Joyce.
The family had their daughter, grandchildren and Gloria’s parents at the home as well.
They are members of the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe, said Randy Smith Jr.
The tribe is trying to work out a donation account of some sort, he said.
The fire drew two engines, two tenders, two ambulances, 16 firefighters and three paramedics, said Clallam County Fire District No. 2 Chief Jon Bugher.
“[The firefighters] arrived to find the entire roof of the single-family residence on fire with an adjacent garage, large semi trailer and other vehicles,” he reported.
The home also had several propane tanks nearby, that the fire department prevented them from exploding by keeping the fire down in that area.
‘Guys there all night’
The firefighters managed to save the garage and vehicles, but the house was destroyed, Bugher said.
“The guys were there all night,” he said.
“And we sent some to stay and watch [Tuesday] to make sure that it didn’t start up again.
“There were several hot spots that we were worried about, so they were just keeping watch over that.”
The fire department determined that smoke detectors in the home were not working.
“My dad just happened to wake up and see the light [from the fire] reflecting into his window and woke everyone else up,” said Randy Smith Jr.
People with donations for the family can phone Randy Smith Jr. at 360-460-8286 until a formal account is set up, he said.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
