Fire destroys family's livelihood

Billowing clouds of smoke rolled black against an overcast sky as flames consumed a 5,000-square-foot workshop off Highway 88 Thursday afternoon.

"It's a mess," said property owner Mike Alley, who owns the log house, old barn and workshop on about three acres of land near the intersection with Dressler Lane. "I just don't know what to think right now. It depends on how badly everything is damaged."

Watching tongues of flame blacken and curl the tall bay entrance on the west side of the structure, Alley estimated there was $200,000 worth of equipment inside where he operates his welding business, A&B Fabrication.

He expressed concern about the deluge of water East Fork and Alpine County firefighters were pumping in from a makeshift pool in the highway.

"There's electrical equipment in there," Alley said. "Computers."

He said he believed the fire started in a wood stove on the eastern side of the workshop.

He said his wife Nancy had just left for Portland, Ore., to pick up their daughter who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.

"I have four kids, and they're all grown up," he said. "I've been here (at the address) for 15 years."

His mother, Minden resident Jeannette Alley, said she came as soon as her son called.

"I got here and I could see flames inside," she said. "Then all I saw was smoke. I think it started on the far side of the building."

While firefighters began pulling charred equipment from the smoldering building, neighbors helped round up the family's spooked horse. Alley said her son will be all right.

"But he's devastated," she said. "This is his life's work."

A plume of black smoke first alerted neighbors that the shop was on fire. Multiple 911 calls were made to dispatch shortly after 1:15 p.m.

Highway 88 and Dressler Lane were closed by deputies so fire apparatus could maneuver around the blaze. Units from Gardnerville, Minden, Genoa, Sheridan, the Ranchos, Fish Springs, Indian Hills, and Johnson Lane responded. The fire was reported out at about 2:50 p.m.

Thursday afternoon, East Fork Capt. Terry Taylor said the fire was "clearly accidental." He said the structure had wooden framing and drywall inside and steel panels outside.

"We know the fire started in the area of the wood stove, that was the source of heat, but we haven't completed our investigation. We don't know what first ignited," he said.

Taylor said there was an oil drum and also some sawdust near the stove that both might have been the culprits. Unfortunately, he said, because of heat and smoke damage, the majority of equipment inside was ruined.

"He (Alley) was the first witness to it," Taylor said. "It's a shame. Our hearts go out to him. He needs help at this point."

East Fork Fire Chief Tod Carlini said firefighters were taking the structure apart in order to overhaul the fire.

He said four compartments including an overhead loft full over material required them to take their time as they went through the building.

"We need to go through it in a methodical way so we don't drop material down below," he said Thursday afternoon. "It's very time consuming. We'll be out here for another couple of hours."

Carlini said the workshop was within 20 feet of one of the Valley's historic barns. He said that between the barn and the home, firefighters had to keep the fire contained to the workshop.

"Fortunately, we didn't have the winds," he said. "They did a great job protecting the barn. It is one of the Valley's treasures."

With much of the Valley's firefighting resources engaged in battling the blaze, Carlini said Carson City firefighters helped by watching the north county.

South county voluteers turned out to watch Topaz Ranch Estates, while Station 4 moved up to the Carson Valley.

"Overall we had a good response from everyone," he said.