Couple thankful for new home after Lavaside Fire

FIRTH, Idaho (KIFI) - Ron Rauschenbach and his wife Natalie lost their home last April due the Lavaside Fire in Firth, and the fire took out everything in its path.

"If you looked at the property after the fire, it was devastating," said Rob Quilling. "All the trees were burnt down. There was nothing left other than a foundation in the ground with a lot of their personal belongings that had a lot of deep meaning to them."

Ron says the last year has been a struggle, not knowing how things would turn out.  

"It's been pretty hard," Rauschenbach said. "I woke up every morning hoping that things would get straightened around. It's been a rough time, but things are looking good and we're moving on."

After reaching out to Quilling and Regal Ventures in Idaho Falls, the group was able to build the couple a brand new home on the same property.

It's a place where Ron, Natalie and their doberman named Colt will be staying for years to come.

"In one word, phenomenal," Rauschenbach said.

While Ron is grateful for his new home, he is concerned for other families who may suffer the same fate. 

"It is fire season," Rauschenbach said. "And once a fire starts, it just goes crazy. Just need to keep everything cleaned up."

For Quilling, he was glad to help out a family who has lost so much.

"What made this great was being able to give somebody their life back," Quilling said. "Not only just to rebuild, but to rebuild something that they could both be proud of."