A South Whidbey resident’s quick thinking saved a man from dying in a fire that destroyed a mobile home last Wednesday.

Tim Nettlebeck, a 64-year-old maintenance worker for the Town of Coupeville, said he was staying in his home at Holmes View Drive to recover from a respiratory syncytial virus.

That morning, fearing he missed the garbage truck, he took the trash outside. When he checked whether his neighbors’ garbage had already been picked up, he noticed flames coming out of the bedroom window of his next door neighbors and friends, Mike and Krystal Kieke.

Not having a phone in hand, Nettlebeck went back inside to tell his wife to call 911. Then, perhaps due to some previous volunteer firefighter experience kicking in, he ran to his neighbors’ house. While Mike’s truck was gone, he feared Krystal was trapped in the room.

As soon as Nettlebeck stepped into the house, the smoke was so thick he could not see through it. He went outside to take a look through one of the bedroom’s windows and realized the room, the door and the hallway ceiling were on fire.

When he tried to call for Krystal, nobody responded, giving him hope she was not there.

Then, Nettlebeck remembered Matt Kieke, Krystal’s brother-in-law, also lived in an adjacent bedroom.

Nettlebeck went back into the house, making his way through the thick smoke until he found Matt’s bedroom. Unable to see anything, he had to feel the bed to find Matt, who was laying still just a few feet from the burning wall, seemingly unaware of the fire alarm or the heavy smoke.

Nettlebeck yelled and shook him, but to no avail. Then he slapped him in the face, finally waking him up before walking outside together.

Matt, who is a heavy sleeper, believes he would’ve died in 10 minutes had it not been for Nettlebeck.

He recalled feeling confused when he realized the person who smacked him was his neighbor, whom he had only seen a few times since he moved in with his brother a year and a half ago.

At first, Matt said, he thought the smoke was mist that got inside the house. Still in a state of confusion, he then walked back inside to get his shoes, prompting Nettlebeck to retrieve him again before South Whidbey Fire/EMS arrived at about 8:52 a.m.

Despite breathing in copious amounts of smoke, the two men were okay. The inside of Nettlebeck’s nose and mouth was completely black, but after a rinse, he did not need further medical attention.

Much to his relief, Nettlebeck learned Mike had taken Krystal to the hospital in Coupeville, where she gets infusion treatments for her cancer every 21 days. Coincidentally, Krystal’s medical appointment had been moved from Thursday to Wednesday. Had that not been the case, Mike said, his wife would have been in the burning bedroom while he worked.

According to Mike, the two had left around 8:15 a.m., shortly before the fire. At the hospital, their daughter, Beth McQueen, sent them a screenshot of a post from the Facebook group Alert Whidbey 2.0 notifying users of a residential fire in the neighborhood. Mike’s boss also called him after a neighbor told him about the fire.

After some initial fear due to Nettlebeck and Matt not answering their calls, Mike and Krystal were relieved to learn from Nettlebeck that he had pulled their brother out of the burning home.

Unfortunately, Matt’s 5-month-old kitten Rhea, who was staying in his bedroom, seemingly died from smoke inhalation.

Though the loss of the home and the kitten are unfortunate, Nettlebeck is glad his neighbors and longtime friends are okay.

While the cause of the fire is still being investigated, Assistant Chief Terry Ney told The Record it may have been caused by an electrical malfunction.

Since the fire, the Kiekes have been staying at McQueen’s home in Clinton, and have been receiving support from the community and local nonprofits.

McQueen launched a GoFundMe for her parents and uncle, which can be found by searching “Help Mike, Krystal & Matt After House Fire.” As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser has received $3,835 from 49 donors.

The family expressed their gratitude for Nettlebeck.

“He’s the greatest guy in the world,” Mike said, calling his friend a hero. “If it wasn’t for him risking his life, things would be a whole lot different.”

Joe Grogan, Coupeville’s director of Public Works and Nettlebeck’s boss, said he plans to nominate him for a Red Cross award.

“I am very proud of Tim and his heroic actions. I feel honored to have such a vigilant crew,” he said.

(Photo provided) The fire has left the Kiekes with an unhinhabitable home and has destroyed most of their belongings. While an investigation is underway, Assistant Chief Terry Ney said the fire was likely caused by an electrical malfunction.

(Photo provided) The hallway of the Kiekes’ home was completely destroyed.

(Photo provided) Matt Kieke sits among the remains of the home he has lived in for the past year and a half. While he made it out alive thanks to Tim Nettlebeck, his 5-month-old kitten did not survive.