By Kristin Goodwillie, Northwest Region

Linda Murphy was making cookies for church on July 25, 2026, when her husband rushed into the house and urgently said, “We need to get out of here now.” The Bradeen Hill wildfire in Stevens County was spreading fast.

After two nights sleeping in their truck and wondering whether they would ever see their home again, Linda and her husband arrived at a Red Cross shelter exhausted and overwhelmed.

As she described their arrival, she began to tear up while talking about the simple acts of kindness that meant so much.

“From the minute we got here, they took our information and hugged us. They told us we could get a warm meal and a shower, and that we could keep our cat,” she said.

The couple had evacuated with only the clothes on their backs and were in need of basic essentials. Linda said that when she woke up the next morning, Red Cross volunteers had purchased the same size and brand of undergarments she normally wears.

“It’s a little thing, but it’s everything,” she said.

In a moment filled with uncertainty, this gesture reminded Linda that she wasn’t facing this disaster alone.

“As long as I’ve been here, I’ve been thinking about what kind of platform I need to get on to thank the Red Cross and the firefighters who saved our house,” said Linda, whose home is still standing.

She plans to leave the shelter as evacuation orders are lifted this week. She considers herself one of the lucky ones. Several homes were destroyed in the wildfire.

While Linda’s story is one of quick action and survival, she says the Red Cross volunteers have made the experience bearable.

One of the volunteers who has formed a special bond with Linda is Maggie Manning, a Red Cross volunteer from Connecticut.

“The level of appreciation people have shown and the way they've expressed how important this support is has been incredible,” Maggie said. “What we do goes far beyond the impact we think it has.”

This is Maggie’s first deployment, and she has been struck by the sense of connection and community at the shelter.

A psychologist by trade, Maggie has been using her skills to help people cope with the trauma of evacuating on short notice.

For Linda, that compassion has been monumental. “I didn’t know people could be so giving and caring,” she said.

While Maggie hopes to deploy again, Linda says the experience has changed her. As she prepares to return home, she is already looking for ways to volunteer with the Red Cross herself.

“I’m just so thankful and feel so blessed,” Linda said. “I just don’t know how to pay back the Red Cross. I’m going to be looking for ways to help.”