SPOKANE, Wash – When the Old Trails Fire tore through the Rifle Club neighborhood on August 1st, it consumed far more than structures and land. For the White family, it erased the physical backdrop of their lives together. But in the aftermath of that destruction, they found an unexpected way to preserve what truly matters.
The fire’s fury devastated the neighborhood, destroying more than 500 homes in its path. The White family’s house sat squarely in the middle of the destruction.
For Ron and Erin White and their children Josh and Brenna, the home represented far more than a building. It was the only house the children had ever known, a place holiday memories were made and neighborhood friendships flourished.
“Growing up here, there were so many kids in this neighborhood, so Halloween was awesome, trick or treating was great,” Josh White recalled.
As the family faces the daunting task of clearing the rubble and rebuilding, Erin White made an unconventional decision.
Before demolishing what remained, she wanted to document the loss. She called Heather Clark, a photographer and childhood friend, to capture the family on their burned property.
“Hopefully your house never burns down,” Erin said. “But if it does, it should be documented.”
Clark owns Grace & Belle Photography. She’s accustomed to photographing families on their best days. Initially, she questioned how she could create meaningful images in a landscape of ash and rubble.
“I didn’t imagine how it could work,” she said. “As a photographer, I’m always looking for light. Where is the light.”
Turns out, the White family brought their own light to the shoot. They’re a family that loves to laugh, and could find even the humor of that photo shoo, even posing inside the ring of their burned-out trampoline.
“You’re always trying, as a photographer, to bring out the people you’re shooting and let it be their story and their spirit,” Clark said. “I think we caught their spirit.”
Erin White calls the resulting photographs their “album cover,” a fitting title for this musical family. Among the rubble, the Whites even discovered sheet music, half-burned but still recognizable – a symbol of the life they’ve built together.
The photos mark a significant moment for the family. Josh will head to college next year, and Brenna recently moved to Los Angeles. The images capture them together before these major life transitions, a visual record of their bond before they scatter to new chapters.
“It just shows that we’re still here, we’re what’s important,” Erin said. “These guys are who I love and we made it through,” she said.
The White family’s story resonated beyond their own loss. After Clark posted the family’s photographs, she received calls from other families who lost their homes in the Old Trails Fire.
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