SPOKANE, Wash. — The Old Trails fire has burned through so many homes in northwest Spokane neighborhoods, leaving many battling with the sight of everything lost.
Those who had to evacuate on Saturday say it came rapidly. Aidan Bui, who lost his childhood home in the North Indian Trail neighborhood, had just arrived from the gym, when he received an alert to evacuate. He only had minutes to leave.
“It was really like a movie…. I get home and, like, literally everything around me was orange,” Bui said.
Bui called his mother to ask what he needed to grab as he evacuated. He gathered important documents and his family’s savings, but the limited time meant he couldn’t take much else.
“I should have grabbed more stuff. Honestly. Like, there’s pictures that I could have grabbed,” Bui said.
He mentions he didn’t have a chance to grab any clothes.
When his mother eventually met him at the house, they were able to drive all the cars out. The evacuation process was chaotic, with traffic overwhelming the area as residents fled.
“Traffic was insane. Like, I saw people, getting into random people’s cars because, like, everyone was helping out,” Bui said.
Bui tried to see his house in person Monday but was stopped by a roadblock. Other homeowners, however, were able to get through and walk through their properties to assess the damage.
A group of volunteers has been handing out resources in affected neighborhoods to people who have lost their homes. HungryGen Spokane is a church located in Spokane Valley that is handing out N95 masks, food, water, hygiene products, and baby supplies people who are displaced. You can also visit their church during the weekdays from 1 pm to 6 pm Monday and Tuesday, or 9 am to 6 pm Wednesday through Friday to get resources in person.
Bui has set up a GoFundMe to help rebuild after the fire. You can donate to the GoFundMe by clicking here.
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