SPOKANE COUNTY — One month after the Upriver Fire destroyed their homes, 14 families are confronting the reality that recovery extends far beyond the initial devastation. The path to rebuilding involves navigating insurance requirements, obtaining permits, and coordinating with contractors—a process that has proven more complex and time-consuming than many anticipated.
When the Moyer family first lost their home in June, they lost everything inside it as well. “Pair of tweezers, some batteries, nail clippers, anything. You don’t have any of those,” Chris and Andren Moyer recalled together.
The family, part of a strong community of musicians, received meaningful support when the local music community raised more than $10,000 for them through a benefit concert a few weeks ago. “We couldn’t have asked for more and something like that. And between that and help from friends and family and our church, it’s been really good,” Chris said.
Despite the community support, the bureaucratic hurdles of disaster recovery remain daunting.
Before the rubble can be cleared, the Moyers must wait for the results of asbestos testing and obtain a demolition permit from the county. “It’s the amount of time that it takes to process all of those kind of things that really is the detriment to what we’re trying to get done,” Chris Moyer explained.
This week, Spokane County commissioners took action to alleviate at least one financial obstacle displaced families are facing. The board voted unanimously to reduce the cost of demolition permits—a necessary first step before rebuilding can begin.
“The regular price for a demolition permit is $342.59. And so the action that we took on Tuesday was to lower that to the lowest possible amount we could,” said Spokane County Commissioner, Josh Kerns.
The reduction cuts the permit cost by nearly $300, bringing it down to close to $35 for families impacted by the Upriver Fire.
Commissioner Kerns says the wait time for the permit should be minimal. “We want to see these folks flourish and be very successful in the cleanup and rebuild after these fires,” Kerns said.
The county approved a similar fee waiver for victims of the Gray and Oregon Road Fire. Commissioner Kerns wants this to become a permanent practice for wildfire survivors.
The Moyers say they welcome the discount, but they remain concerned about the financial and logistical challenges ahead.
Their primary worry centers on the limitations of their insurance coverage.
“Unfortunately, our insurance company only allows for one year of a rental and then we’re on our own. I doubt a home is going to be able to be built within a year,” Andren said.
But Andren Moyer expressed hope that the county’s actions will set a precedent for supporting those impacted by wildfires and “…help the survivors of wildfires get their life back,” Andren Moyer said.
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