Aftermath of Fishing Warehouse Fire Off Elk Valley Road Leaves Wake of Devastation

Lania Fink, daughter of Richard Hagel, owner of the warehouse who passed away last October, shared with The Triplicate the devastation wrought by the June 19 incident.

Lania has been working with homeowners insurance to determine the extent of coverage

Charles Nicolas received a call late that Wednesday evening, moments after emergency crews were dispatched to the fully-engulfed fire of the 300 sq. ft structure on State Street. With permission of firefighters, Nicolas was able to remove his forklift, salmon tank and salmon pole. Everything else, including 300 mint condition crab pots perished. Each crab pot is valued at $175. The impact of this fire also affects deck hands who worked on the crabpots. Nicolas said his estimated losses totaled $200,000.

Nicolas is not alone is this tragedy. Allen Loretz, Jeremy Hurst and Wes Taylor also suffered equipment and fishing gear loss in the blaze. Sadly, their living has been destroyed.

Firefighters labored for nine hours containing the fire.

A GO FUND ME page has been established for those wishing to help.

gofund.me/6e4036db

Daughter Lania Fink has posted a Go Fund Me Page, entitled Help Crescent City Fishermen Rebuild.

No cause of the destructive fire has been announced.