Recovery Shed Program - Washington Wildfires

Started by Yonderosa, January 02, 2016, 05:26:53 PM

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Yonderosa

2015 was a challenging year for a number of forum members living in North Central Washington. There were three nights that I was certain we'd lose our place, fortunately we're still "unburnt." Burned the parcel next to me but did NOT cross the road.  Yikes! Unfortunately I have several neighbors who were not so lucky.

One of the takeaways I got from the experience was how amazing most folks are. For more than a week we were on our own - no forest service, no DNR, nobody... We did what we could.  We did have the good fortune to have a Wildland Firefighter living in our community, he had two trucks and another neighbor had purchased a surplus firetruck that we used as a water tender, resupplying our own and any other firetruck working the fire in our valley, some came from as far away as Utah.





I can go on and on about the experience but for this forum I thought it might be interesting to know of the Recovery Shed Program that to date has built about a dozen sheds for the truly needy.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/928637880537097/


I personally know two of the recipients and in an area where folks who REALLY do live in poverty this is a heartwarming  story. The Foursquare churches, the Baptists, Lutherans and Mennonites have REALLY stepped up (compared to the gubermint who for the second year in a row decided they hate poor rural folks and will NOT fund recovery efforts - sorry for insulting those who believe the gubmint is a solution for anything...).  Materials and labor were provided at NO CHARGE.  Almost all of these buildings are inhabited full time by folks that have NO other place to go. This includes a number of Viet Nam Vets who find this area salubrious.

These are 12 x 16' sheds, built on skids to avoid bureaucratic encumbrance. They are defacto homes.  Material packages were funded entirely by donors at about $3500/ unit.  Insulation and other upgrades were mostly donated too by neighbors. Labor to build then has been the limiting factor.  Plenty of folks willing to open their wallets.  Not as many willing to break a sweat.



http://theyonderosa.blogspot.com/

"The secret to life is to be alive.  To live ultimately by one's own hand and one's own independent devices." -Ted Nugent

Yonderosa

This is what is left of my neighbors place.  I'm drawing him a new set of plans right now. He will rebuild.



This is some video of what it is like to walk up on your burned out home for the first time.  Both the men in this video had lost their homes four days earlier while heroically fighting to save others' homes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD57WEeqawY

Some of the quieter moments I had to break the camera out and take some video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k18Mm2REPVA

Driving out of the valley listening to NPR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7XNF0YLzmk
http://theyonderosa.blogspot.com/

"The secret to life is to be alive.  To live ultimately by one's own hand and one's own independent devices." -Ted Nugent


Adam Roby

I'm a bit far away to offer any hand on help, but you got me thinking and so I just sent an email to my local "homes for humanity" office to see if I could volunteer my time to help the less fortunate.  Its a cause I think is in me to give, never really thought about it before.  Thanks for opening my eyes...  as you said, its one thing to offer a donation, its something else to sweat for someone you're never even met. 

Yonderosa

#3
These are videos from the previous year's wildfire recovery efforts.  The Mennonites and the Baptists have the most visible and effective relief efforts from what I've seen. GREAT folks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRhr--2cUBw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwMknMmoEPc
http://theyonderosa.blogspot.com/

"The secret to life is to be alive.  To live ultimately by one's own hand and one's own independent devices." -Ted Nugent

nailit69

I'd love to volunteer and help rebuild... unfortunately, my problem is that I need to keep the rent paid and the lights on here at the same time.  That, along with the fact I don't have a place to stay (until my place is built) would be the only thing keeping me from coming.   


OlJarhead

Thanks for sharing.  We were also fortunate in that the fire didn't get that close (3/4 of a mile as the crow flies).

My team and I raised several hundred dollars to help out a family in that area and some of them donating labor or trucking (trailing sheds or trailers).

It's tough to go about and see the devastation!

rorybagleys

Wow. That's a great program. Lucky to have nice folks like that out there in the world.