On Friday afternoon, Aug. 18, our spirits were high. I’d just finished work for the day and was planning to grill some brats and cook baked beans for an enjoyable barbecue dinner. Summer weekends were running out, and we wanted to make them count.
Little did we know, that naive plan was about to go out the window.
After resurfacing from my home office on the north side of Medical Lake, I noticed a massive plume of smoke to the south. I instantly knew it was a wildfire, and my first instinct was to be concerned for the farmers in that area whose wheat crop was likely burning or in danger of doing so.
But when my wife, Maggie, and I saw how quickly the smoke was moving and growing to the east, we knew it could be a lot worse than that.
Still, when Maggie asked if we’d have to evacuate, I brushed her aside.
“The fire would have to get into town for that to happen,” I said, thinking the blaze would be controllable to the point where it would burn through mostly brush and timber.
A fairly typical Eastern Washington wildfire, I thought.
Not 10 minutes later, as I whipped the brats out of the fridge, I was proven very wrong. An alert pinged on our cellphones — our entire city was under a Level 3 evacuation notice. We needed to get out… now.
Remaining calm, we packed our overnight bags, got into our cars and joined a long line of eastbound vehicles on state Highway 902.
As we sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the smoke began to grow at an alarming rate. From the time we had packed our bags until we got onto the highway, the fire had already reached the west end of Silver Lake.
Finally getting to family who graciously hosted us for 72 hours in Spokane, I saw reports that a home had ignited in south Medical Lake.
At that point, my concern the fire was going to do its damage was very legitimate.
Thirty-plus mile per hour winds grounded Fire Boss and other air attack craft. And despite heroic efforts of firefighters from various Spokane and Lincoln County and state agencies, the structure that was reportedly on fire became just one of and estimated 185 structures in south Medical Lake, Silver Lake and Clear Lake that were lost to the fire.
And worst of all, longtime Medical Lake philanthropist, businessman and rancher Carl Grub lost his life.
The next morning, I received confirmation that our home was still standing, and based on firefighting efforts and wind direction, we could be assured it would remain so.
We got very lucky.
A lot of people didn’t.
But amid the disinformation, heartache, panic, complaints and fears in the coming days, I also saw the better side of humanity.
I read about Tyler Lust, who put his own life in peril to rescue his disabled neighbor confined to a wheelchair.
I read about Medical Lake Care and Share, which received so many clothing donations the nonprofit had to stop accepting donation.
I read about Bruchi’s offering free lunch, and Lake’s Harvest Foods providing free cases of water to families in need.
School supply drives were organized. People rescued missing pets. Farmers donated feed and land to store large animals.
And of course, our brave firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement, transportation workers and city workers put their lives on the line to ensure the blaze wasn’t much worse. Without their efforts, the fire would have probably leveled the-whole city, or worse.
These were just a few of, quite literally, hundreds of offers for people. Some had much to give, and some little, but they still gave from the generosity of their hearts.
The brighter side of humanity shone through a very dark time… the darkest our city has known.
And as we hope and pray for those who lost it all, including their homes and livelihoods, we know that the city will rebuild itself stronger, because of the strong people that call it home.
— Drew Lawson is the editor of the Lincoln County Record-Times. Email him at [email protected].
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