FERRY COUNTY, Wash. — A rapidly spreading wildfire that consumed thousands of acres across Ferry County on Saturday destroyed a dog shelter operated by Rebecca Cummins and her family, leaving them to rebuild from scratch while their community rallies to help.
The Modrite Fire, burning out of control across more than 9,000 acres approximately 17 miles west of Inchelium, forced evacuations as flames advanced with alarming speed. Cummins and her husband Justin, who have operated a livestock guardian dog shelter on their ranch since 2022, found themselves in a desperate race against time as the fire closed in on their property.
“Within 10 minutes of flames being seen at the top of the mountain, our entire property was surrounded by fire,” Cummins said.
The family had initially believed their location offered some protection. Firefighters had positioned equipment on the property, suggesting it could serve as a defensible position. That assessment quickly changed as the fire’s intensity overwhelmed the area.
“Firefighters had originally parked equipment here thinking that they would be back and it would be a pretty defensible place, as did we. But 10 minutes in, we had fire surrounding the entire place,” Cummins said.
When evacuation became necessary, Cummins managed to escape with four of the dogs from her shelter. She also worked to help her livestock find a way to safety as flames approached from all directions. The fire came dangerously close to the main house, stopping just feet away from the structure.
“We have a dirt driveway behind the house. The fire got right up to the edge,” Cummins said.
While the animals survived the evacuation, the dog shelter itself did not survive the fire’s destructive path. The loss represents a significant blow to the family’s livelihood and to the broader community that has come to depend on their operation.
Despite the devastation, Cummins has not abandoned her vision for the shelter. She is actively working to raise funds to rebuild the facility and restore the services it provided to the region. The outpouring of support from both local and national communities has reinforced her determination to move forward.
“We’ve always had a really strong community both here locally and nationally through the livestock guardian dogs. It’s a very tight-knit community and it’s just been amazing to see everyone coming together and calling to ask what they can do,” Cummins said.
There is a Go Fund Me to help her raise money to rebuild the facility.
*If you are considering a contribution to a GoFundMe account, please proceed at your own risk. KXLY.COM cannot assure that money deposited to an account will benefit the persons you desire to benefit
COPYRIGHT 2026 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
