Santiam Wildfire Relief

Meet my parents: My dad is a Marine,  former federal LEO, former Marion County Search and Rescue member and a camp host at Fisherman’s Bend Campground. Over the course of his life he donated countless hours and thousands of miles in the back country in the service of families with missing loved ones and in service to his country. He spent time away from his own family to help strangers because he answered the call to serve. My mom holds it all together for our family, she is the glue. She raised the family essentially as a single parent while my dad saved the world. He was able to complete his life’s missions because of her loyalty and unwavering support. 

On Monday night the Santiam Wildfire swept through the canyon devastating Fisherman’s Bend and surrounding towns. By the grace of God a firefighter banged on the door and windows of the fifth wheel while my parents were sleeping. The time elapsed between that notification and the fifth wheel catching fire was mere moments. My dad jumped into action prepping his fifth wheel for evacuation And sending my mom off in the spare vehicle. Just as he was getting ready to secure the pins on the fifth wheel hitch another firefighter yelled at him “you have to go NOW” and pointed behind him. A wall of flame was bearing down on him. My dad yelled over the radio “My rig is on fire as we speak! Get out NOW” He jumped in his truck and barely made it out. Once again, in the midst of one of the most horrific moments of his life he took the time to alert others of the imminent threat. He left everything behind. 

As I write this story, I am sitting with my familyin my own home listening to them try to make sense of what happened. The truth is, no amount of money or replaced property can alleviate the trauma my family and countless other families endured. If you are able to help my family I am eternally grateful to you. If you are not able to help financially, your kind words will
go further than you know. I don’t like asking for help, I get that from my dad but I also know that if you don’t voice a need you cannot have that need fulfilled. My parents, like so many other families, lost their home. They lost nearly every earthly possession they owned. I am so thankful to law enforcement and firefighters and the community at large. The generosity and courage of everyday people is astounding. I sincerely thank you for your time and consideration. Please take care of yourselves and your families and send prayers for mine and those even less fortunate than we were. 

Wildfire
Your home burned in a wildfire. Those words bring a sickish chill to my throat. Though always a fear itching at the back of my mind, never did I think this would actually come to fruition. Words fail to escape me in regards to how thankful I am that you both, and the dogs made it out of there ok. This truly seems next to a miracle with how close the fire was. We could have received much more devastating news as an outcome... though grim, this is the most important thing to come out of this tragedy. It is incredibly important to hold on to this.

Would have, could have, or should have...banish these phrases from your vocabulary. The only thing that matters from the moment this tragedy struck, is what currently IS. Ignoring this will only bring pain and suffering that is not only unjust, but cruel. Bringing back the reference from our previous paragraph, “we could have received much more devastating news as an outcome.”

Now let’s focus on what currently IS. Currently, the family has peace of mind knowing that everyone made it out safely. Therefore, none of us are in immediate danger. Let’s let out the breath riddled with anxiety that I know we have all been holding in our chest all day. Next, everyone currently has a roof over their head. This again, provides a sigh of relief. All of the vehicles made it out, which was definitely not necessary, but this is a good thing. Though a luxury, vehicles are also an asset. You have 2 assets that are at your disposal.

As a helpful reminder, take a minute to sit in silence with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. This is a trauma. Take mental inventory about where you are at, and share it with someone.