‘It’s sort of like losing a family member:’ Naoma business owner reacts to fire that burned his shop to the ground

NAOMA, W.Va. (WVVA) – Carl Jarrell, owner of Jarrell’s Backwoods Towing in Naoma, Raleigh County, is sharing details about the horrific fire that burned his small business to the ground on Monday.

Jarrell tells WVVA that he and a few of his employees were in the shop portion of the business around 8:30 Monday morning when they heard strange noises coming from the connected garage.

“We were in the store sitting, and they just heard a poppin’ noise, and they thought somebody was over in the garage working, but there was nobody over there, and when they went over to open the door. That’s when they say the flames shoot out and it was just already out of control…the only [thing] we had time to do was get a couple keys off the counter and call 911.”

Within a matter of hours, Jarrell’s Backwoods Towing was a pile of rubble.

Jarrell tells WVVA that words can’t express the loss he and his family are feeling in the aftermath of the blaze. Jarrell’s great-grandfather began building the shop in 1946 and opened it in 1951. Jarrell’s dad, Raymond, took over ownership in 1981 and ran the business until he passed in 2019, leaving the shop to Jarrell and his mom, Kim.

Jarrell says the shop, his main source of income as an adult, has been a part of his life since his birth. It was the place that housed his father’s lunchbox collection and was a safe spot for anyone in the community who needed a place to sit and talk with others.

“I really couldn’t even think. I was just blank,” he recalls from Monday’s fire. “I mean, I couldn’t think at all. It’s still a shock to me now…I don’t want to say it’s like losing a family member but it’s sort of like losing a family member.”

In the days following that fire, the community of Naoma has stepped up to lend a helping hand to their neighbors in need. On Wednesday, they held a prayer vigil for the Jarrell family, praising the fact that everyone who was inside this store when the fire started was kept safe and asking for guidance as the Jarrells move forward.

“It’s been unreal the people that have reached out, tried to help, offer stuff…just nice, kind words. I mean, it’s been unreal. I can’t even begin to tell you how many messages and stuff I’ve gotten.”

Jarrell told WVVA on Wednesday that they are planning to rebuild the shop and are currently waiting to hear back from the insurance company to lay out their next steps.

Fire Chief David Clay will the Coal River Fire Department says his team is also working with the insurance company to outline the cause of the fire.

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