From The Ashes

Police Scanning After Class w/Fires
In the Background

I write this post with many emotions.  As I look through these pictures it seems surreal; it's been one heck of a week.  Although I am happy we survived with shop and "stuff" in tact, there has been a lot of loss and several hectic sleepless nights.  What better place to start than the beginning though... and so I shall try to recount our tale. 



Last Friday I had an 8 o'clock exam in Omak.  I left the house early to get in some extra study time, and was greeted with the distant roll of thunder and black skies looming to the West.  Naturally I headed toward them to take the long way to school and to deduce if any of the black contained some much needed rain.  It was like driving through a tunnel; by the time I arrived at school, one of the largest lighting storms I have ever witnessed was happening right over me.  Cam reported much of the same electrical action at home, and thunder so loud and near it was rattling the windows.  We did get a bit of rain, but it was brief, and talk of fires quickly commenced.  The weekend was ushered in and I then completed one of the toughest quarters yet of nursing school last Tuesday.  The culmination of this quarter felt so good; I really worked my buns off this quarter.  I will be sitting for my exam to get my LPN soon, and only three quarters more until RN.  I can't believe I survived this year honestly.

On the way home from school I had my first introduction to the Okanogan complex fires.  A large fire had started above Riverside, and black smoke began to fill the valley and my commute.  I felt a bit of a rush for the first time, as I quickly ended my errands to make it home before any roads were closed.  Once home, I met the scene on the right.  Fires to the South-West of us, near Fish Lake from what we could tell, and seemingly advancing in our direction.  Cam got out his race scanner and we were able to pick up the local police and fire department channel.  With fires so close, I went into action mode; I wanted to get bug out bags packed and essentials in the trailer at the minimum.  Cam wisely knew we probably had more time and he humored my requests but also wanted to maintain a positive status quo on the ranch.  We had plans formed for months that my folks would take the kids for a couple days, as Friday was our 5th anniversary... little did we know it would be one of the hottest anniversaries YET!  

That night was the first of a few restless sleeps and we rose early to check the progression of the fire.  It had definitely moved, but had not as of yet crossed South Pine Creek Road, which was our mental barrier that divided timberland near us from the fire.  We left to run some errands in town, and within a two hour period, we returned to find our property socked in with smoke.  Cam and I made a quick decision to get the kids out of the area due to the poor air quality and the movement of the fire.  So... I loaded up and me and the kids set out.  Our journey home was an adventure in itself: we were turned

Twisp Skies

around in the depths of Highway 20 after a fire started in Newhalem.  Luckily, a gentleman stopped me (in the middle of the road) and told us to hightail it the other way.  The kids were sleeping, but I was very uneasy as we were in a canyon, with smoke billowing up from the pass.  As we made our way back into the Methow Valley... more smoke, now in the direction of Twisp.  I called a girlfriend who lives there and she said both Winthrop and Twisp were being evacuated, which left me in the middle of an exodus, heading South to Wenatchee.  I contemplated the choice I made to continue on the road, but with fire in most every direction, I just wanted to get my kids out of the area.  Because of our turnaround, it took around 8 or 9 hours for us to finally reach Skagit County.

5 Years Together

In Monroe, I received THE message.  Fire had not only crossed South Pine Creek Road, but it had advanced to the closest ridge to the West of us.  Cam was set in motion hauling our trailer, quads, Jeep, and snowmobiles to a friend's house down the way.  Although exhausted from driving so far already, I knew I would be heading back shortly to help my husband.  Kid delivery went well, despite the fact I hate leaving them on a normal day.  After debating what to do, my cousin Riley called and agreed to drive with me back to Omak.  So we set out around 11pm and made it back to Omak around 4:30am, where we slept in the Wal-Mart parking lot due to closed roads north of Omak.  After a couple hours of sleep, we were able to detour to our property.  It felt good to be back with Cam, adversity is best faced together, and I always feel better with him.  We went to lunch in town, and headed home to gather with our neighbors and their family.  Our times together are always fun and spirited, but the atmosphere changed when we walked outside and saw how quickly the fire had progressed down the ridge.  With only one gravel road between us and the fire, things were getting rather serious.  We made quick plans to get out of the area, and as planned Cam would stay with the men to defend our home.  I ended up leaving with our neighbors to help with their children; it was a tough decision to not stay with Cam, but I felt like it was the best decision at the time, and honestly I was worried about getting stuck down our road with no escape, and no contact with the kids.

Riley in our Driveway

Friday, I returned to fire on the ridge in front of us, having crossed Hagood road during the night and now making it's way toward us.  Fire was also starting to creep up our neighbors hillside, which is completely full of timber.  The guy's were tired from waking every hour to check the location of the fire, and the fact that it was our Anniversary was really a side note.  We watched the fire advance and I left to report back to basecamp and be a support for our neighbor.  At this point, I felt fairly confident with how the fire was moving, but I didn't necessarily want to sit around and watch things burn.  I did several re-con missions to check on the advancement of the fire, and knew it had to be close to both of our places, and Cam finally got a message out saying that the fire was at our driveway, but that there was a fire crew there.  The guys worked with the fireman to stop the fire on our line, but could only watch as the fire swept down and around our meadow.  Cam later described the vortex that occurred as the fire swept through our meadow in minutes, climbing up the hillside to our neighbors just as quickly.  The loss of their home was devastating; while but a cabin in the woods, it was a HOME, in all senses of the word... warm, welcoming, and full of a depth that only comes with the warmth of a family with similar attributes.  

The aftermath is tricky.  I am deeply grateful to be sitting here, kids sleeping, Cam in his recliner... but our hearts hurt for our neighbors loss.  While our neighbors have found a rental closeby, it's hard to grieve and go on with life at the same time.  We have seen the generosity of a small town at work though, and time will hopefully heal.  Our property looks much like a war scene.  What once was a lush meadow filled with berries and underbrush, now is ash and a lot of burnt trees.  It's hard to describe exactly all that has happened.  Our story, of course, has ended much happier than others, but we walk side by side. Bringing home the kids was scary, and oh so sweet.  I hoped their young hearts would be sensitive to the matters at hand, and it just felt right to be back again together as a family.  5 years with my husband continues to be the greatest adventure and seems to carry neverending excitement.  From ashes come fertile land and new opportunities; lumber for a home and new perspectives.  It's the conquering of one more challenge and hope for the passing of a season.