The only funeral home on the Mendocino Coast was destroyed after a two-alarm fire started on the second story of the historic Fort Bragg building that houses Chapel by the Sea.
Dispatchers received the first report of smoke at the 6,800-square-foot red brick fronted structure at approximately 1:47 p.m. on Saturday. Within minutes, the East Fir Street building was fully engulfed, with flames as tall as 20 feet quickly escaping the east-facing windows, according to Adam Dondanville, assistant fire chief of the Fort Bragg Fire Department.
When he arrived, the second floor was overwhelmed by flames.
“It was cooking,” he said. “There was not a whole lot we could do, but set up for a defensive fire and prevent it from getting anywhere else.”
At first sight of the fire, Dondanville called for the second alarm.