'Flash' fire guts La Conner home

A bright, sunny picture-postcard afternoon in La Conner turned tragic when a house on N. Fifth Street was destroyed by a fast-burning fire whose noxious smoke blackened the sky as it wafted across town.

Tony and Jane Mitchell, members of the La Conner Firefighters Association, lost their home June 19 to a blaze that raged through their garage and into the house, sending flames shooting out from the walls and roof.

A Mini Cooper in the garage was destroyed and a Volkswagen sedan on the driveway was badly damaged.

The couple and their dogs were able to flee quickly and escaped serious injury with Tony Mitchell reportedly suffering only minor burns.

Members of La Conner Fire Department, Skagit County Fire District 13 and McLean Road Volunteer Fire Department rushed to the scene to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading to surrounding homes and structures.

Neighbors also did their part by watering nearby lawns and houses. Town councilor Rick Dole, who lives a block away and previously served nearly a decade as a Coupeville firefighter, provided initial assistance to La Conner Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra.

"It was one of the biggest fires I've seen in quite a while," Reinstra told the Weekly News. "It was fortunate that the wind died down and very, very fortunate that the fire could be contained."

Reinstra was at the La Conner fire station near the roundabout when the first 911 calls came in at 3:52 p.m. He rushed to the scene and was soon joined by La Conner, District 13 and McLean Road crews.

"It was a coordinated, quick response," said Reinstra. "The initial reporting helped a lot and being able to get water on the house right away was important. It's great that the local departments work so closely together. The coordination between the departments was the best part of a worst-case scenario."

Reinstra said several 911 calls came in, including one from an active firefighter.

Reinstra said the fire broke out as Tony Mitchell worked on a vehicle in the garage.

"He said there was a flash and the fire just took off," Reinstra said. "This one had a lot of flame to it."

Vinyl siding on the house appeared to fuel the fire and the dark smoke left unpleasant fumes that lingered in the neighborhood for several days.

Reinstra said the community has wasted no time stepping up to help the Mitchells.

"The owners of Channel Lodge and La Conner Country Inn reached out to provide emergency housing and people have offered their rental houses to them," he said. "This community never ceases to amaze me with its generosity."

By necessity, such an outpouring will need to be ongoing.

A GoFundMe drive with a goal of $50,000 to benefit the Mitchells was launched last week, said Jeff Platt, communications manager and spokesperson for Helping People Help Each Other.

"While their memories cannot be replaced, they are grateful that everyone made it out safely," Platt said of the Mitchells. "The community of La Conner has been unimaginably supportive during this devastating time."

Platt noted on Saturday that the Mitchells have dedicated their careers to public service. He said Tony Mitchell is a nurse practitioner for the Veterans Administration and Jane Mitchell has worked as a nurse for three decades.

"Jane and Tony have to face the reality of rebuilding from the ashes of their old home," said Platt. "We are raising money to help them through this traumatic experience, aiming to cover some of the costs of cleanup, demolition and rebuilding."

Reinstra said the Mitchells' son, Dr. Clemmens Mitchell, was a member of the La Conner Fire Department before he started a three-year residency at the University of Oklahoma in 2023.

"They moved here from Woodinville and are huge supporters of La Conner," Reinstra said. "They love it here. They've talked about how everyone has rallied around them."

The link to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-mitchells-rise-from-the-ashes?cdn-cache=0