Holiday Farm Fire Vida Oregon Home Recovery

As many have now heard and seen, the Holiday Farm Fire of Blue River has decimated insurmountable homes and the spirits of Mckenzie River. At this very moment, lives, pets, homes, personal property, have been displaced if not obliterated  beyond recognition, possibly never regaining a sense of normalcy. Home in Vida, Oregon only lasted 2 months. My fiancé (now of 20 years) and I made this bold move to Vida, 10 miles west of Blue River, to finally settle in a nice new house, be married, and live a humble, quiet, fulfilling life away from the busy and toxic concrete jungle of Los Angeles County. We purchased the home in June and moved in August 2, 2020. During the late evening of September 7, all of Lane County began to witness a historic wind storm, knocking out power. There was no warning or initial thought that the dark night would yield such a horrifying fire storm to follow shortly after. The magnitude of the fire spread far and wide, barreling down Mckenzie highway 126, on both sides of the river. Fire and police crews were helpless. The only thing they could do to save our lives at this very time was to issue a level 3 warning to evacuate immediately. If we had not listened, I would not be typing this message to you. Our house was not spared in the very least. In fact, the tiny neighborhood of Bear Creek has been destroyed, reflecting imagery of nuclear bomb magnitude. I have included a photo both of the home while in escrow in June and now, taken just a few days ago. Everything is gone. Personal items from both childhoods, important documents (it will be a nightmare to retrieve a new passport due to name change after birth unless the passport agency is forgiving), collectibles that can not be replaced, the work, passion and love put into the home to furnish it, which we just finished the Friday before the fire. We were still fixing it, decorating it to look like a cute, small cottage with a fairy tale essence that matched the background of the lush forest on the rock mountain behind the house. I regret never taking any photos of the work and inside of the home after unpacking. The only memories are in our mind. We are now under Red Cross. They have been the most compassionate group of hard working people i've ever seen. The community of Mckenzie River and Oregonians from all over have been resilient, kind, selfless and we feel like this move from California was still worth it. I'm proud to be here and I will not leave our property for any reason. There is no fear to go back. Unfortunately, that is the problem. We do not have any estimated time we can retrieve what may be left, as the destruction is very extensive. My concern is rebuilding. It will happen but not until spring season 2021 I would imagine, especially considering the time of year it is. Winter here will be our first. I'm very concerned about shelter. We are okay for now but how long will the shelter really be here for us? Being displaced is a nightmare. Not knowing when you can go to the property is mentally beating us down, especially seeing the results. We have never been through something like this so the fear of an uncertain future is taking its toll on our soul and spirit. I'm trying to think ahead during our temporary shelter time for this amount to start a savings for rent. I'm so uncertain about when insurance can even begin to help. I feel we should not take Red Cross for granted. I want us to be prepared for the unexpected again, and if rent/hotel expenses are needed to keep us safe from the outside elements, then that's where we need to start. I am not able to work at this time, my mind is a total quagmire. I'm taking a lot of time off to gather my senses again but work can only give me that, not a free paycheck. I'm grateful for the company I work for as they will let me keep my job but there is no money flow. Whatever you'd like to donate, it would mean the world to us. It will be a savings to fall back on because i'm afraid any where we stay will be based on a day by day basis. If there is consistent shelter, we can rebuild our dream home. Thank you and may this message find you, your family and friends, safe from this crazy and unpredictable world. Blessed be.