A historic home that was destroyed in a prolonged house fire in Alpine Tuesday first belonged to the woman who wrote the history book on the mountain community.
The 80-year-old home is currently owned by El Camino Grace Church Senior Pastor David Bray and three generations of his family lived there. His entire family of nine has been displaced by the fire at the property known as Sky Mesa Ranch, the Alpine Fire Department said.
“I think it is all burned. I don’t know at this point if anything is salvageable,” homeowner David Bray said.
His son Todd and his wife were home at the time the fire erupted and called the fire department. The cause is still being investigated but Alpine’s fire chief says when they arrived the outside wall of the laundry room was burning.
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The cause is still being investigated but Alpine’s fire chief says when they arrived the outside wall of the laundry room was burning.
“Emotionally we are devastated obviously," Bray said. "I am thankful. I have faith in the Lord Jesus. I am a pastor and I know he has a purpose for everything."
No firefighters or residents were hurt in the fire nor was there any threat to surrounding residences. No evacuations of nearby buildings occurred, according to the District.
The historic home was built by Alpine settlers Beatrice and Clayburn La Force in 1946.
Beatrice La Force, Bea as she was known, was an author and local librarian who wrote "Alpine: History of a Mountain Settlement," a 300-page book that gives detailed insight into life from the 1880s until its publication in 1971.
“If it wasn’t for Bea most of this history would be lost,” Alpine Historical Society Archivist Carol Morrison said.
Morrison is the caretaker of such antiquities. Their real value though, is in her heart. When she heard Sky Mesa Ranch was on fire Morrison, was nearly brought to tears.
“Just as it is now. A lump in my throat. It’s like losing a person,” Morrison said. “It’s a death in the family in the town."
In 2003 a developer purchased the 260-acre ranch and it was divided into parcels where homes were built. The only thing left standing from the Sky Mesa Ranch for the last 20 years was the old house itself, on just one acre of land.
The damage has not yet been totaled but the fire chief says there is no salvaging the home. Now destroyed, it is a part of Alpine history that cannot be replaced.
“It is part of the community and I can’t believe it is gone, “ Morrison said.
Investigators do not suspect foul play in the fire. No civilians or fire personnel were injured.
