‘We’ll be back’: Recovery phase continues after Holiday Farm Fire

Source: KEZI.com

By Jacob Roberts, Posted: Feb 1, 2021 12:57 PM

The McKenzie Community Development Corporation has been at the forefront of the response and recovery effort after the fire.

BLUE RIVER, Ore. — The landscape of the McKenzie corridor is unmistakably changed in the wake of the Holiday Farm Fire that broke out last September, and so is the spirit of many who call the area home.

Tim Laue, President of the McKenzie Community Development Corporation, said low spirits remain one of the biggest obstacles to recovery, aside from the massive logistical and bureaucratic challenges of rebuilding entire towns. Laue, who lost his own home to the fire, said some residents are debating the value of returning.

“A lot of people are undecided if they have the energy to rebuild — which takes energy,” Laue said.

The McKenzie Community Development Corporation has been at the forefront of the response and recovery effort after the fire. The organization works to support the economy and environment for communities along a 60-mile stretch of Highway 126.

Nearly five months after the fire, Laue said a transition is still happening between meeting people’s immediate needs versus shifting to a long-term recovery strategy. In October, the McKenzie CDC opened three recovery centers to help provide basic supplies and food for fire evacuees. As the need has dropped, one relief center at McKenzie High School has closed but the other two will remain open until March 1.

“We’re also in the recovery phase which will probably go on for 18 months or so. That started a couple months ago. From there, at the end of the recovery phase, you’ll start the rebuilding phase. That will probably go on for two to three years past that. So, we’re in this for the long-haul,” Laue said.

Jamee Savidge, another area resident and community organizer with McKenzie CDC, said outreach is critical to let people know of options available to them.

“100% of my work is community outreach, working with people navigating the process with Red Cross, FEMA and their insurance companies and trying to get towards being able to rebuild if they want to rebuild,” Savidge said.

Laue said his organization works closely with local, state and federal agencies and have their own members working to secure grants and monitor the landscape for potential hazards.

“There’s just a lot of work. We’ll be back. There’s no doubt we’ll be back. We won’t be the same, but in some ways we’ll be better,” Laue said.

The Holiday Farm Fire destroyed more than 400 homes and left 173,000 acres burned.

Still, there are already signs of progress. A county website that tracks the rebuilding efforts shows a handful of lots labeled as “in progress.”

You can find more about the work of the McKenzie Community Development Corporation well as well as additional resources here.

Copyright KEZI 2021