Introduction to the Chetco Bar Fire Story Series

Introduction to the Chetco Bar Fire Story Series

The Chetco Bar Fire erupted towards the Oregon Coast on August 18, 2017. It began as a small and slow-moving fire in July, until hot, dry winds, known locally as the Chetco Effect, arrived on the evening of August 15. Everything picked up after that: on August 17, the fire jumped the Chetco River’s South Bank and reached 8,500 acres in size. Over the next few days the fire would blaze across 18 miles in 80 hours. On August 20, the Oregon State Fire Marshal activated the Conflagration Act. Fire fighters came pouring into the area to fight the fires, boosting numbers to 1,174 fire fighters, from 280 two days earlier.

Before all was said and done, the Chetco Bar Fire would torch 191,125 acres, burn 6 houses, cause the evacuation of more than 5,000 people from their homes, and expose thousands more to hazardous smoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of us listened and watched the daily updates and fire maps as the wildfire spread closer and closer to homes around and in the town of Brookings. Heard were traumatic stories of the escalation of the Chetco Bar Fire and the herculean effort to put it out. Whether our homes were threatened or not, the many dark, acrid, smoke-filled days impacted people and activities for miles around. This disaster affected everyone in our region in some way.

But in the midst of this disaster, stories of selflessness, acts of generosity, and the many people, organizations and businesses stepping forward to give of their time, money and goods began to emerge. A strong community spirit of appreciation was kindled from this wildfire event, and was most visible in the many expressions of gratitude and thanks in display throughout the community and online. We were ALL in this together.

To capture the moments when we came together as a community to help one another, Wild Rivers Connect conducted 13 interviews with individuals involved with the relief effort during the Chetco Bar Fire, either on their own or as part of an organization. These individuals range in profession, from retiree to 4-H educational assistant, juvenile case worker to food bank director, and so many more. They live and work across the region, from Crescent City to Port Orford, and even to Coquille.  Parents, friends or strangers, they showed that we were, most of all, neighbors.

These folks volunteered countless hours to meet the needs of others, many of them doing this in addition to their regular work day. They filled fundamental needs like food, water, and housing; they sheltered evacuated animals; they coordinated the gathering, storage, and dispersal of donated items; they connected those in need to resources; they did all these things and more.

At Wild Rivers Connect, we want to share some of their stories. These stories are meant to spotlight some of the incredible work done in our communities by individuals and nonprofits. They also identify gaps in services and lessons learned that must be addressed – not just before the next disaster, but that exist day to day in our communities.  Each week for the next six weeks, we will be sharing one of the Chetco Bar Fire Stories with you on our website. We know that there are countless other stories out there, and we regret that we couldn’t cover every single one, but we do hope that you will share them with us and with each other.

Our thanks to those who have shared their stories with us, and to our wonderful communities.