SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane couple who had been first-time homeowners for just five months lost their house when the Upriver Fire tore through their neighborhood. They are just one of the 14 confirmed primary homes that have been destroyed by this fire.
Monica and Grant Walker said they fell in love with their home the moment they saw it, a property that stood out from every other house in the Northwood neighborhood.
“It’s the type of house that you see that it looks different from all the other houses on our cul-de-sac in our neighborhood,” Monica Walker said.
The couple put in an offer right away. But their time in the home was brief.
When the fire swept, Grant was inside the house with the couple’s toddler and their dog. He initially noticed smoke but did not believe it posed an immediate threat.
“I could see some smoke kind of in the distance, but I thought it was kind of far away. And so I just texted her like, hey, you know, like, I guess wildfire season is starting already,” Grant Walker said.
When an evacuation alert came through on his phone, Grant did not have a car because Monica was out of town with it on a work trip. He left on foot, pushing his young daughter and their dog in a stroller. He headed toward the river, hoping it would provide a safe barrier from the flames.
“I figured as long as I got to the river, I would be safe,” he said.
Monica rushed back and picked them up as quickly as she could. The couple later learned from a neighbor that their home was gone.
When the family tried to return the morning after their home was gone, their neighborhood was blocked off, and they were unable to get close.
Portions of the home’s main entrance remain standing, but everything else is completely gone. The Walkers’ have not seen the condition of their home since they evacuated.
Without family in the Spokane area, the couple decided to travel to California, where — with the help of their insurance — they are temporarily renting a home near Grant’s parents.
Grant said leaving the area, as difficult as it was, may have been the right decision for the family’s well-being.
“I’m happy that we kind of left the area because I just think that kind of sitting around and then waiting for kind of that final confirmation where you go up and kind of see it for real, I think it would have been very, very hard on us,” he said.
Despite the loss, the Walkers’ remain hopeful about rebuilding. During their drive to California, the home’s former owner sent them the custom layout plans for the house.
“We want to kind of build it back the way it was. And so just having those blueprints is just a godsend,” Grant Walker said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help the family fund the rebuilding effort.
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