COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho —
Tom and Yvonne Puth walked up to the burned ruins of the Wolf Lodge Steakhouse early Tuesday afternoon looking for Nicole and Shawn Martel.
They wanted to hug the managers of the historic restaurant, but a cyclone fence set up around the property’s perimeter separated them.
“I’m on the wrong side of the fence,” Yvonne Puth said to Nicole Martel.
Still, they reached through the fence and crossed fingers together. Nicole Martel tried to fight back tears.
Tom Puth looked at Shawn Martel, his face and head showing signs of the burns suffered as he tried stop the fire from spreading Monday.
“Thank God you're all right, buddy,” Tom Puth said.
Shawn Martel nodded. There was still pain but he was feeling better than the previous day when he was taken to Kootenai Health.
“I need to get out of the sun now,” Shawn Martel said, wiping a cloth across his wounds.
As the Puths turned to leave, they told the Martels to let them know how they could help.
“Whatever you need,” Tom Puth said.
“We’re thinking about you,” Yvonne Puth said. “Keep in touch. Keep in touch.”
“Love you,” Nicole Martel said.
When asked by another friend what could be done to help, Nicole Martel shook her head.
“I need to take care of my staff,” she said. “They’re all devastated right now."
How was she holding up?
Nicole Martel, who has worked there nearly 28 years, paused as she tried to find the right words.
“I raised my kids working here. My home away from home. Always has been,” she said. “I’m at a loss.”
To read the full story, visit our news partner, the Bonner County Daily Bee.
