Fire consumes home on Fadjur Lane

A raging fire driven by stiff winds consumed the home of Jim and Becki Neal on Sunday afternoon.

The fire call came in at 3:12 p.m., according to Cloverdale fire district assistant chief Thad Olson. The Neals had been napping when they awoke to find the TV had gone off. A visiting grandniece smelled smoke. Becki went outside to check the cable and saw the roof on fire. Jim went into the home's furnace room and saw fire in the attic.

When the couple tried to call 911, they found their phone line dead and they rushed outside to call from cell phones.

The first unit responded within five minutes, Olson reported, but the fire was already venting through 25 percent of the roof.

"It was fully involved within three minutes of the first crews arriving," Olson said. "Wood shake shingles really helped the progress of the fire, and we had very strong winds - about 25 miles per hour out of the northwest - which pushed the fire throughout the building."

Despite the raging progress of the fire, the Neals were able to get out safely, though they could not salvage any possessions. The home, valued at $350,000, was a total loss. The home's destroyed contents were valued at roughly $100,000, including irreplaceable antiques and rodeo memorabilia.

The Neals were insured.

Firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to outbuildings, though the wind created several spot fires in surrounding brush.

Two fire engines, two tenders and two brush trucks responded from the Cloverdale firehouse, and Sisters backed them up with two engines and a water tender. Olson thanked Sisters for assisting in the battle.

Ironically, the wood shake roof that fed the fire was a requirement when the home was built in 1980. The shingles were called out to conform with neighborhood standards.

Wood shake roofs are now considered a serious fire risk.

"It's like having kindling on top of your house," Olson said.

Sisters Rodeo Association is opening accounts at U.S. Bank and Bank of the Cascades for donations in the name of the Neals.