By Kristin Goodwillie, Northwest Region 

“We are all stunned,” said Laurel Ackerman as she sipped coffee Wednesday morning at the Red Cross shelter at Spokane Valley United Methodist Church. “Now my view is scorched earth, whereas before it was lush and green.”

Laurel lives in Northwood, an area deeply impacted by the UpRiver Fire, which broke out Tuesday in Spokane Valley.

“Everyone got notice to evacuate around 1 p.m. The police came door to door,” she said.

Laurel was working from home when a Level 3 “Go Now” alert buzzed on her phone. She left in a hurry, unable to take irreplaceable items collected over 30 years.

Before leaving, she made sure her windows and doors were closed and her home was securely locked. It’s a move she hopes helped save her home from the wildfire.  

She spent hours driving, unsure whether her home had survived. When she tried to return later in the day, a police officer told her they did not know the status of her home but confirmed that two of the seven homes in her neighborhood were “down to the foundation.”

Laurel arrived at the Red Cross shelter around 5 p.m. Tuesday and stayed overnight. She said it has been comforting to connect with others facing the same uncertainty.

“You are warm and extremely organized and prepared,” she said of the Red Cross volunteers.

Red Cross emergency shelters are a safe place and a hub for support. Anyone affected by a disaster is welcome to stop by for a hot meal, charge their phone and access additional resources. No identification is required, and guests are not obligated to stay overnight.

Still, Laurel said she feels hesitant about returning home.

“It makes you think how fragile your home is, how quickly it can all be gone,” she said.