SPOKANE, WASH. — Families returned to the charred remains of their homes this week to search for anything salvageable after the Old Trails Fire swept through the Rifle Club Road and Indian Trail neighborhoods, destroying hundreds of structures and leaving residents grappling with the loss of their homes and their sense of community.
Drone footage shows the extensive path of destruction the fire carved through the neighborhoods, with some homes completely flattened while others remain partially standing. The fire, driven by strong winds, left a visible scar across the landscape that residents are only now beginning to comprehend.
Chris Sloan, who lived on Rifle Club Road and Douglass for the last four years, returned to her property to find it completely gone. She came with her brother and daughter, hoping to recover any items that might have survived the flames. While she lost furniture and housewares, what devastated her most was the loss of irreplaceable family keepsakes.
“I don’t care about the furniture, I don’t care about any of the housewares. But it was things like the Christmas ornaments my kids made when they were little. The baby doll I had saved for my daughter that was her baby doll, then we’d give it to the next grandbaby,” Sloan said.
The emotional toll extended beyond her own loss. When Sloan surveyed her neighborhood, the scale of the disaster became overwhelming. Nearly every home around her had been destroyed or severely damaged.
“I was so blown away by our own house, and then you look at the neighborhood and it’s just decimated. It made me think about how much we loved walking in this neighborhood, saying hello to our neighbors. It was green and beautiful,” Sloan said.
Despite the devastation, Sloan found an unexpected source of comfort in the shared experience. The fact that her entire neighborhood was suffering the same loss created a bond among residents facing the crisis together.
“On another side of it, in a way, it’s a little comforting in the sense that we’re not alone. It didn’t happen to just us. It happened to other people. And as much as I hate that, it just feels like we’re not in this by ourselves,” Sloan said.
In the Indian Trail area, cleanup efforts are just beginning. The visible path the fire took is evident in the patchwork of destroyed and standing structures. Some homes remain intact while others have been reduced to foundations and ash. The uncertainty about the future weighs heavily on residents, many of whom are unsure whether they will be able to rebuild on their original properties or if they will need to relocate entirely.
Riverside State Park, also damaged in the fire, remains closed as park officials assess the damage. Crews are already working to identify which trees need to be removed before the park can reopen to the public.
Several organizations were distributing food and drinks to residents and offering assistance with recovery efforts. Sloan expressed gratitude for the community support, saying she feels very supported through the crisis and believes she has all the help she needs to rebuild her life.
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