It felt akin to a dragon exhaling flames.
Joshua Shell phoned his spouse Samantha, who was at work in Winchester, just 20 minutes before he and their 2-year-old child were evacuated from their residence on Indian Run Lane on Wednesday. He described witnessing flames flickering on the hillside outside their home to her.
Following that call, a sense of tranquility settled in. The next 20 minutes passed uneventfully as Joshua and his toddler sat down to watch television until the arrival of fire trucks rushing up their street.
The Shell family resided in close proximity to each other on Indian Run Lane and Coal Mine Road, with Indian Lane ascending from the latter. Positioned above them was Shell’s mother’s residence, while Shell’s aunt’s house lay directly below on Coal Mine Lane.
Upon alerting his mother about the approaching fire trucks, Shell mentioned that she questioned the need for their presence as she could not detect any smoke from her vantage point.
Subsequently, Shell’s mother ventured to the other end of the house, leading to Shell hearing her distressed cries over the phone. A transformer had collapsed at the unoccupied house behind her, triggering a sudden burst of flames.
“As I sat on my porch awaiting my mother, all I could see atop the hill were flames,” Shell recounted. “Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through. The fire ascended 20 feet into the trees, cascading down the mountainside. By the time my mother reached me, the fire had reached the edge of Indian Run roadway and leaped over to my house.”
Shell admitted that he had never before witnessed such a spectacle.
“The smoke arrived first, and with the gust of wind, it felt as though a dragon was breathing fire. The flames emerged from the smoke,” Shell vividly described. “It was a sight to behold yet simultaneously the most terrifying experience of my life.”
Shortly after his conversation with his mother, a police officer appeared at his door.
“I informed him that I needed to evacuate with my child. He insisted that there was no time. I pleaded with him to allow me to retrieve my child from inside,” Shell recollected.
Subsequently, Shell, his son, and his mother sought refuge at his aunt’s house on Coal Mine Road until they were instructed to evacuate from that location as well.
Samantha Shell rendezvoused with them, and they sought shelter at a relative’s residence in a different area.
Samantha Shell expressed apprehension about returning to Coal Mine Road when it reopened on Thursday morning.
“As we turned the corner and witnessed the Airbnb house and the adjacent woods in ruins, we braced ourselves for the worst,” Samantha Shell shared. “Upon arrival, we were met with utter devastation.”
All three residences had been reduced to ashes, leaving only their foundations behind.
The Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office declared the closure of Coal Mine Road at 4:55 p.m. on Wednesday, with emergency personnel evacuating the entire thoroughfare.
As of Thursday afternoon, the aftermath had resulted in the destruction of six houses and the engulfing of over 200 acres by the inferno. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported. The Coal Mine Road fire was one of several wildfires that ravaged Shenandoah County on Wednesday.
“We are left with nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Samantha Shell lamented. “There is nothing remaining. I keep reminding myself that I can no longer simply walk up to the house to retrieve something when needed. The reality hasn’t fully sunk in yet. We were discussing the necessity of pillows and blankets, items we can no longer retrieve from our home.”
The loss of all three extended family residences in the conflagration compounded the devastation.
“Every family has a support system. Ours was my parents. My family,” Joshua Shell reflected. “My mother’s house, my aunt’s house, my house—all razed to the ground.”
Trevor Hendry surveyed the wreckage along Coal Mine Road on Thursday morning, visibly shaken by the extent of the damage.
“We had assumed that our home was also lost,” Hendry admitted. “The fact that we were spared was a relief, but our hearts ache for those who weren’t as fortunate.”
Janeen Wanless inspected her daughter’s residence on Thursday morning, astonished to find it still standing.
“The house remains intact. My daughter and her three young children, along with their two dogs, were swiftly evacuated. Unfortunately, their cats and cockatoo were left behind,” Wanless disclosed. “Yesterday, as the chaos unfolded, I rushed here but was unable to enter to rescue the animals.”
Her daughter and grandchildren were battling the flu when they were instructed to evacuate. As of Thursday morning, they were still lodged in the hotel room they sought refuge in the previous night. Wanless admitted that the family had resigned themselves to the belief that their home had succumbed to the flames.
“We have been incredibly fortunate,” Wanless acknowledged. “It was a close call. The emotional toll has been immense. To know that there were animals trapped in a potentially burning house, unable to be rescued, was a traumatizing experience. We had heard distressing reports. Seeing our house still standing was unexpected.”
Chris Orndorff was evacuated from Middle Road, receiving notification of the evacuation order via text and call at 3 p.m.
“The air was thick with smoke, the acrid scent lingering. Ashes were descending,” Orndorff recounted.
Although his residence remained untouched, the ordeal left a lasting impression on Orndorff.
“I keep replaying the harrowing experience in my mind, and ‘terrifying’ doesn’t quite capture the intensity of it,” Orndorff reflected. “I recalled the wildfires in Canada and Hawaii, reassuring myself that such a calamity couldn’t unfold here. I was naive in my assumptions.”
Orndorff expressed solidarity with his friends and neighbors on Coal Mine Road who lost everything in the blaze.
“Their devastation is palpable. It’s heart-wrenching,” Orndorff remarked. “You wish you could wave a magic wand and make it all better for them.”
Unity in Adversity
Upon witnessing the aftermath of the previous night’s devastation, Sue Bockey felt compelled to take action. Having experienced a similar loss to a wildfire in Hawaii years prior, she understood the gravity of the situation.
She took to Facebook, rallying support to establish a staging area for collecting resources to aid those impacted by the fire. Shortly thereafter, HL Borden Lumber Company offered their premises for this purpose.
By mid-afternoon on Thursday, the staging area was inundated with donations, necessitating additional pickups in the evening for furniture and other essentials.
“We’ve received an abundance of food, beverages, clothing, beddings, personal hygiene products, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner,” Bockey reported. “One individual arrived with his truck laden with donations.”
Bockey emphasized that the collection at HL Borden Lumber operates on the honor system. Those affected by the disaster are encouraged to access the resources they require without any interrogation.
The outpouring of donations from the community has been immense. The Shenandoah County Department of Fire and Rescue has urged individuals to cease sending in donations, confirming that they have a sufficient supply of essentials, food, and water.
For those looking to contribute, the Red Cross has been identified as a suitable avenue for donations. Interested donors can visit the Red Cross online or contact Stacy McFarland at 681-247-9472.
The Shells, too, have experienced an outpouring of support since losing their home.
“I didn’t shed a tear upon learning of the destruction of our home,” Samantha Shell confessed. “Tears welled up when someone mentioned having a trailer filled with furnishings for our future abode once we find a new place to call home. We have been embraced by such kindness.”
The road to recovery will be arduous for the Shells, but they find solace in having their family by their side.
“I’m still processing everything. Possessions hold little value to me. I’m grateful that my family made it out safely,” Samantha Shell expressed. “I no longer care if that entire mountain goes up in flames. There’s nothing left for us there. Everything we need is right here.”