{"id":10692,"date":"2015-08-26T16:17:25","date_gmt":"2015-08-26T23:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=10692"},"modified":"2017-01-29T14:55:58","modified_gmt":"2017-01-29T22:55:58","slug":"relief-for-those-fleeing-washington-fires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/relief-for-those-fleeing-washington-fires\/","title":{"rendered":"Relief for those fleeing Washington fires"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Linda Bloom |\u00a0<\/strong>Aug. 26, 2015 | NEW YORK (UMNS)<\/h4>\n

Last summer,\u00a0a wildfire scorched the back of Pateros Community United Methodist Church<\/a>\u00a0in Washington State and burned down its parsonage.<\/p>\n

This August, as fires once again devastate the drought-plagued western U.S., the church in Pateros is open 24 hours a day to those in need of shelter, food and a place to escape the smoke.<\/p>\n

Volunteers from throughout the denomination\u2019s Pacific Northwest Conference, which encompasses Washington, Oregon and 10 counties in northern Idaho, have been assisting \u201cfrom Day 1,\u201d said Jim Truitt, who has served as the conference\u2019s United Methodist Volunteers in Mission disaster response coordinator for the past nine years.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all part of a well-coordinated joint effort. \u201cI have never seen, in all the disasters I\u2019ve been involved in, the faith-based organizations work so closely together,\u201d Truitt added. \u201cEarly on, we sat down and talked about what the needs were and who had what resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

The United Methodist Committee on Relief recently distributed wildfire-related emergency grants to both the Pacific Northwest and California-Nevada conferences.[quote_box_right]<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to donate now to the PNW Conference\u2019s Disaster Fund (Advance #352)<\/h4>\n

[\/quote_box_right]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe situation is changing daily,\u201d said Greg Forrester, who coordinates the agency\u2019s U.S. disaster response.\u00a0\u201cBoth grants are being used to meet immediate needs of evacuees and assisting churches to set up respite centers for both evacuees and responders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fires bring tragedy<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sparked by lightning without rain and aided by high winds and tinder-dry brush and trees, single fires in Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties have merged into \u201ccomplex\u201d infernos.<\/p>\n

The Okanogan Complex fire, Truitt said, has \u201cjust exploded across the state,\u201d burning over 300,000 acres as it grew to nearly the size of the city of Seattle. \u201cAs of this morning (Aug. 25), the new fires have set a new record.\u00a0They are now the largest fires in our state\u2019s history<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even before that point, the Washington wildfires claimed the lives of three firefighters with the U.S. Forest Service and injured four others when shifting flames overtook a fire crew Aug. 19 after their vehicle had crashed.<\/p>\n

One of them, Andrew Zajac, 26,\u00a0was the son of the Rev. Mary Zajac<\/a>, senior pastor at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Charles, Illinois, and her husband, Jim Zajac. The family, including his wife, Jennifer,\u00a0released a video statement<\/a>\u00a0about him.<\/p>\n

Richard \u201cRick\u201d Wheeler, 31,\u00a0was a member of First United Methodist Church in Wenatchee<\/a>, Washington, where the pastor, the Rev. Joanne Coleman Campbell, comforted his wife, Celeste, after she received news of his death.<\/p>\n

Tom Zbyszewski, 20, the third firefighter who died, had just finished his sophomore year at Whitman College in Walla Walla and was spending his second summer with the U.S. Forest Service, where his parents also have worked.<\/p>\n

A memorial service for all three firefighters is planned at 1p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, in Wenatchee.<\/p>\n

Finding shelter and support<\/h4>\n

Residents evacuating from those fires to the north and the Chelan Complex fire to the south have fled to Pateros and Brewster, where the Red Cross has opened a shelter.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a new experience for the Rev. Earl Lane, who moved from the other side of the state seven weeks ago to become the pastor of Pateros Community church, which has about 55 people attending worship on an average Sunday. He expressed admiration for the dedication of the congregation there, many of whom are \u201cstill processing\u201d their own experiences with last year\u2019s fire. \u201cI\u2019m really proud of my denomination,\u201d he added. \u201cThey\u2019ve just really stepped up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the people currently seeking shelter at the church are from the north and came with animals that aren\u2019t allowed at the Red Cross shelter. As of mid-day on Aug. 25, three families were in residence, but the numbers fluctuate. \u00a0\u201cIn 20 minutes, I could have 50 people at the door,\u201d Lane said.<\/p>\n

Truitt dispatched six clergy and lay persons to Pateros last week to offer support and \u201csimply provide a presence\u201d until the fire chaplains could arrive. He delivered some needed supplies \u2014 underwear, toothpaste and gas cards \u2014 to the church shelter over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Part of the anxiety, Truitt said, is that it often takes a long time to learn what has been lost or saved. \u201cThe fires are so severe and the smoke is so thick the assessors simply can\u2019t tell them the status of their homes,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody\u2019s walking on eggshells, everybody\u2019s a bit fearful,\u201d Lane said. \u201cThe smoke is an everyday reminder that there\u2019s a fire going on somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dedicating new homes<\/h4>\n

Just a year ago, the Carlton Complex fire was the largest wildfire in state history and volunteers continue to work on long-term recovery plans.<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/a>
Kevin Froese, on deck at left, of Mennonite Disaster Service, speaks during the Aug. 23 dedication of the first of 11 houses to be completed by ecumenical volunteers after last year\u2019s Carlton Complex Fire in Washington. The house was framed by the Amish from Montana, the MDS and United Methodists finished the interior. Photo by Jim Truitt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Aug. 23, the first two of 11 houses to be rebuilt this year were dedicated even as smoke filled the air, said Truitt, who participated in the ceremony.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Amish poured the foundation and framed the house and the Mennonites finished the inside with some help\u00a0from the Methodists,\u201d\u00a0he wrote on the conference\u2019s UMVIM Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cFunding came from donations and grants from at least four sources, including an UMCOR grant. This rebuild is truly an example of faith-based groups partnering to reach a goal. The smiles on the faces of the homeowners are all it takes to make all the hard work worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rev. Stanley Norman \u2014who serves as co-chair for disaster response with the Rev. Gerri Harvill \u2014 believes the Pacific Northwest Conference is better prepared because of last year\u2019s experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we set up these long-term recovery groups\u2026we try to encourage the communities, once the recovery is complete or nearly so, to not disband those organizations,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s always harder to put it together from scratch than it is to just reactivate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Money from\u00a0the conference\u2019s disaster response account<\/a>\u00a0was used to help fund disaster case management, with Cathy Earl of UMCOR providing training to 27 individuals last October, several of whom were hired by the long-term recovery group. \u201cThat was really an important step and we\u2019ll probably be calling on those same case managers,\u201d Norman said.<\/p>\n

More than 50 percent of state residents affected by wildfires are unable to secure fire insurance and receive no federal or state funds, Norman noted, so they depend on nonprofit and faith groups for assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is stretching our capabilities,\u201d he acknowledged. \u201cWe\u2019re learning to build houses for less.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Bloom is a United Methodist News Service multimedia reporter based in New York. Follow her at\u00a0<\/em>https:\/\/twitter.com\/umcscribe<\/a>\u00a0or contact her at (646) 369-3759 or\u00a0<\/em>newsdesk@umcom.org<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Linda Bloom |\u00a0Aug. 26, 2015 | NEW YORK (UMNS) Last summer,\u00a0a wildfire scorched the back of Pateros Community United Methodist Church\u00a0in Washington State and burned down its parsonage. This August, as fires once again devastate the drought-plagued western U.S., the church in Pateros is open 24 hours a day to those in need of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":10694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[125,32,493,3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10692","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-emergency-response","8":"category-news","9":"category-rebuild-up-from-the-ashes","10":"category-umns","11":"category-wj-news"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/wa-fires.jpg?fit=700%2C365&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2l75j-2Ms","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10692"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10692\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10705,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10692\/revisions\/10705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}