Pete O’Cain
The Wenatchee World, Wash.
PESHASTIN, Wash. — A longtime U.S. Forest Service employee and volunteer firefighter died Thursday after snow slid from her roof and buried her.
Kimiko Nalle, 46, was found about 5:45 p.m. beneath the snow at her home on Blewett Pass, roughly seven miles south of the Big Y, Chelan County Fire District 3 said Friday in a news release. Emergency crews were unable to revive her.
“Her loss is felt deeply by the fire and emergency services community,” the release said.
Nalle worked for the Forest Service for 26 years as a fire prevention and fuels technician and volunteered with Chelan County Fire District 6 for 17 years.
She served on incident management teams and fire prevention teams locally and across the country. In 2018, Nalle was incident commander of the 3,400-acre Rocky Reach Fire outside Wenatchee.
Nalle is survived by her husband, Dave Nalle, a deputy chief and fire marshal with Fire District 3 and retired U.S. Forest Service employee.
Funeral service details are not yet available. Cards and letters of condolences may be sent to the Nalle Family in care of Chelan County Fire District 3, 228 Chumstick Highway, Leavenworth, WA, 98826.
The Kimiko Nalle Memorial has been established at Cashmere Valley Bank for those wishing to make a monetary gift.
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©2020 The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.)