SPOKANE, Wash. — Becks Bird was one of hundreds of kids who lost their childhood home to the Spokane firestorm. His house in the Rifle Club neighborhood was taken by the Old Trails fire just weeks before his senior year of high school. Then, his high school senior photos were coming up, but the backdrop had changed.
Still, Bird chose to have his photos taken at his house on the morning of his last first day of high school.
“We didn’t pick where I wanted to do them yet,” Bird said. “So, I was like, yeah, I want to do them there.”
Bird grew up with Riverside State Park in his backyard. He spent countless days running and biking with friends and neighbors.
“I probably ran over like a thousand miles back in those trails,” Bird said.
Before the fire, the family had planned to use the area’s natural setting for the photos. Bird said the location was known for its light and seasonal flowers.
“There’s always been such good lighting there and stuff,” he said. “But this year, there was no flowers. Normally there’d be flowers.”
Photographer Jenna Starr said the session was especially emotional for Bird’s family. The photos show Bird among burned trees and debris, with one image including family members near what remained of their home.
“I couldn’t really look at his mom, because it was so emotional for her,” Starr said. “That was the forest her son was raised in. But, Becks is just resilient,” she said. “He’s tough. He’s always been kind of tough.”
Like many in the Rifle Club neighborhood, the Bird family only had minutes to evacuate as the fire moved through the area. Bird, a cross-country athlete, was able to grab his medals before leaving. Those medals were also included in his senior photos.
In the meantime, Becks is visiting colleges and moving through his senior year, and with him, are valuable lessons he’s learned.
“Don’t run away from it,” Bird said. “You gotta live in it. You’ve got to move on at some point,” Bird said.
The Bird family is currently rebuilding their home in the Rifle Club neighborhood.
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