McKenzie River Community Deals with two Disasters as Holidays Approach

Source: KVAL.com

BLUE RIVER, Ore. — With the election and the upcoming freeze, it’s easy to forget about the devastating wildfires earlier this year.

But up the McKenzie River, many are still dealing with two disasters “We lost everything!” said Dan McCall, a Finn Rock resident who’s recovering from the unthinkable after losing his home and everything he owned to the Holiday Farm Fire.

McCall and others like him get essentials from grassroots relief centers created by locals.

“If it weren’t for places like this, we would have nothing,” McCall said.

Leadership at the Rainbow Relief Center says the upcoming freeze won’t stop them from providing food, clothing, and supplies to the recovering McKenzie community.

“We’re checking their temperature through a thermal scan,” says John Carlile, manager at the Rainbow Relief Center, “and we’re only allowing three people in a group in at a time and those people have to be from the same group or family.”

They’re also requiring masks and deep cleaning the center multiple times daily.

Carlile says the extra precautions are worth it to keep people safe.

“We were so fortunate to not have a loss of life during fire. That we don’t wanna have loss of life and funeral because of this,” says Carlile.

With Thanksgiving coming up, the center will be delivering food boxes and meals.

“We went with hot meals for most people because a lot of people are up here in 5th wheels and RVs and tents and cant cook a meal, let alone a roasted turkey in an oven,” says Carlile.

The center will stay open into 2021, prepared for potential weather-related disasters.

“We are anticipating a long, cold, hard winter and the potential for slides and being cut off from Eugene for a few days or longer is quite real,” says Carlile.

In the face of a devastating year, McKenzie residents thankful for their community.

“But we’re managing to keep going,” said McCall, “Ain’t giving up, that’s for sure!”

The Springfield Rotary is offering grants for tools and business supplies to those impacted by the Holiday Farm Fire.

By Olivia Young and KVAL.com Staff