Thurston family escapes fast-moving house fire, now receiving outpouring of support
A Thurston County family lost their home and some pets in a quick-moving blaze on Tuesday, but dozens have since rallied to support them.
The fire likely started around 3 p.m. in or near a bedroom in the two-story rented home at 6130 Mink St. NW, off Sunrise Beach Road. The flames spread to a hallway before Hayden Kepler, 21, noticed the smoke.
Kepler told The Olympian he quickly got the attention of his sister’s 19-year-old boyfriend, McKay Hjelm. Together, they sprang into action to evacuate family pets, which included two cats, six kittens, two birds and a snake.
“There was a fire extinguisher under the sink, but the fire was so big in the hallway, I knew that wouldn’t do anything,” he said. “Most of the smoke I was seeing came from my brother’s room.”
Kepler broke his brother’s window to find him, but luckily Hank Kepler, 16, had left the home earlier in the day. No other family members were in the home.
Both men escaped the blaze largely unharmed with nearly all the pets. Kepler said the snake died in the fire, a pet finch flew away and one cat remained unaccounted for.
Hjelm and Kepler called 911. Firefighters from the Griffin Fire Department responded at 3:27 p.m. to put the fire out and remained on scene for almost four hours, said Assistant Fire Chief Greg Rudolph.
The fire department determined the blaze likely started in a bedroom, Rudolph said, but the cause remains unknown. He said fire caused damage on the entire first floor, while the walkout basement area had smoke and water damage.
Hayden Kepler and Hjelm said neither of them heard a smoke alarm go off. They suspect something in the attic or bedrooms may have triggered the blaze, but it’s difficult to know for sure.
“When we looked down the hallway towards the room, we saw flames licking around the corner of that hallway and the heat blasted us, which was immense,” Hjelm said.
The aftermath
Marc Robles set up a GoFundMe page on Wednesday to benefit his sister and the Kepler family mother, Aubriel Kepler. As of Friday, nearly 60 had donated a total of $5,880.
Aubriel Kepler, 40, told The Olympian she felt immensely grateful for the firefighters and the outpouring of support.
“It’s amazing. It’s overwhelming,” Kepler said. “We’ve had so many friends leave us messages of support and offering help. I tried to respond to each person, but it’s taken a lot of time and energy. We’re still shocked.”
She and her 19-year-old daughter, Hailey Kepler, were working at the Bloodworks Northwest Olympia Donor Center when the blaze started, she said. Nathanael Kepler, her 42-year-old husband, was on his way home from work, she said.
As for the lost cat, the family didn’t give up looking. Aubriel Kepler said she was worried about Marci being out in the cold, so they returned to the ruinous remains.
“I went to a big field, and I called her, but she did not answer,” Kepler said. “She’s a very talkative cat, so if she hears you, she meows back.”
Rather than give up, Kepler said she circled the house and called out for Marci one more time.
“I heard a very quiet meow and my heart leaped,” Kepler said. “I called her again and she started meowing very quickly. I could tell she wanted to get out and I was so afraid she was hurt.”
The firefighters previously told them not to enter the home but to call them if they needed help, she said. So that’s just what her husband did.
A firefighter arrived and made his way down into the flooded basement, she said. He found her in a closet toward the back wall and carried her out unharmed.
“That was just the best,” she said. “It was just that moment where you’re like everything is going to be okay. It was just the best feeling to be able to put my arms around her.”
Kepler said her family has received some assistance from the Red Cross and she is staying at her mother’s home for now. The cats have since calmed down and made themselves at home, she said.
She said she’s thankful her family survived the blaze and have friends and family to help them.
The family has sifted through what they could, uncovering a variety of items that were surprisingly spared by the flames.
“Once something like this happens, you cry more about the things you do find than the things that you lost because those things become so incredibly precious,” she said.
Among the items they found were her grandmother’s cookie cutters, Christmas ornaments, some pictures of cherished memories and even a cheese grater.
“We’ll keep that cheese grater forever,” she said with a laugh. “It’ll get a shrine in our new kitchen someday.”
This story was originally published April 16, 2022 at 1:56 PM.
