ONE
ONE THERE
ONE THERE TO HELP FIGHT THE NEXT BIG WILDFIRE.
HERE'S CHRISTINE PITAWANICH.
>> IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS SINCE
FIRE TORE THROUGH THE SANTIAM
CANYON.
CANYON.
CANYON. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT DETROIT
LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.
STILL DEBRIS ALL OVER BUT SOME
GOOD NEWS IS THAT THIS WEEK
WATER IS JUST STARTING TO GET
TURNED ON.
TURNED ON. IT'S NOT DRINKABLE OR TO BE
USED FOR A SHOWER.
IT'S FOR THINGS LIKE FLUSHING A
TOILET.
TOILET.
TOILET. BUT IT'S A START.
AND TODAY THE UNITED WAY OF THE
MID WILLAMETTE VALLEY ANNOUNCED
IT'S DONATING TWO HUNDRED FIFTY
THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE DETROIT
LAKE FOUNDATION.
LAKE FOUNDATION. THE DONATION MEANT TO HELP
BUILD A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER
REPLACING CITY HALL THAT BURNED
DOWN.
DOWN.
DOWN. BUT
DOWN. BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK
TO BE DONE RIGHT NOW.
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS WITH THE
IDANHA DETROIT FIRE DISTRICT
ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE >>
IDANHA DETROIT FIRE DISTRICT
HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 50S.
WE ENCOMPASS ABOUT SEVEN MILES
WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY
OF IDANHA WHERE WE'RE AT NOW
AND TO THE WEST THE COMMUNITY
OF DETROIT.
OF DETROIT. HOWEVER, WE ALSO COVER THE
HIGHWAY THAT WE HEAR BEHIND US
>>.
>>.
>>. IT'S
>>. IT'S A BIG JOB FOR A SMALL
RURAL FIRE DISTRICT TO RUN BY
VOLUNTEERS BEFORE THE FIRES WE
HAD ABOUT 20.
NOW WE'VE LOST ABOUT 10
OF THOSE WE HAVE WE HAVE 10 OR
SO HALF >> THEIR FORCE GONE
AFTER THE DEVASTATING WILDFIRE
THAT TORE THROUGH THE SANTIAM
CANYON SIX MONTHS AGO.
SO >> IN PART OUR VOLUNTEERS IN
DETROIT NO LONGER AT HOME SO
THEY'RE NOT AROUND TO VOLUNTEER
>> RIGHT .
DEPUTY CHIEF DAMON FOUST SAYS
OTHERS LEFT BECAUSE OF THE
ADRENALINE ASSOCIATED WITH THE
FIRE >>.
FIRE >>.
FIRE >>. AND SO NOW YOU KNOW, THEY KIND
OF COME OUT ONE CALL A WEEK.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LIKE WHERE'S
THAT?
THAT?
THAT? WHERE'S THAT RUSH?
I WANT TO SERVE AT THAT LEVEL
AGAIN >>.
AGAIN >>.
AGAIN >>. AND STILL OTHERS HAD A TOUGH
TIME COPING AFTER FIGHTING THE
FIRE FOR DAYS >> AND IT'S ALL
AROUND US.
AROUND US. THERE'S NOWHERE HERE AT THE
FIRE AND >> THEN DEALING WITH
THE FALLOUT FOR WEEKS
AND MONTHS AFTER >> ANOTHER
ASPECT IS SOME OF OUR
VOLUNTEERS ARE STRUGGLING WITH
THE TRAUMA OF IT ALL.
WE'VE HAD A DIAGNOSIS OF PTSD
WITHIN OUR WITHIN OUR RANKS.
>> WHATEVER THE REASON LOSING
HALF OF THEIR VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTERS PUTS THEM AT A
DISADVANTAGE FEWER PEOPLE TO
HELP IN AN ACCIDENT ON THE
HIGHWAY OR ANOTHER EMERGENCY.
>> WELL, WE'RE 90 SOME ODD DAYS
FROM NEXT WILDLAND SEASON.
IT'S EVENTS LIKE THAT THAT MAKE
YOU SEE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO
HAVE THOSE PEOPLE HERE.
WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WE'VE
ALL WE'VE BEEN VERY
CONSERVATIVE WITH OUR BUDGET
BUT DECEMBER TWENTY TWENTY ONE
OUR LIGHTS WILL GO OUT.
WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PAY OUR
ELECTRIC BILLS >> RIGHT NOW
THEY'RE TALKING TO STATE
LAWMAKERS APPLYING FOR GRANTS
AND HOPING SOMETHING COMES
THROUGH >>.
THROUGH >>. WE'RE STILL HERE IN SPITE
OF ALL THESE CHALLENGES AND AND
YOU KNOW, THE FEAR THAT I HOPE
COMES ACROSS AS WE MAY NOT BE
HERE ONE DAY.
>> OK, CHRISTINE PITAWANICH
JOINING US NOW.
CHRISTINE, I MEAN IT GOES
WITHOUT SAYING BUT JUST WOW.
SUCH SUCH A TRAGIC STORY.
YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH. AND
YEAH. AND >> YOU KNOW, THE THING IS
OTHER RURAL FIRE DISTRICTS ARE
IN THE SAME BOAT TOO.
BUT THERE IS A LITTLE BIT
OF GOOD NEWS THAT THEY'VE HAD
SOME LAND DONATED TO THEM, A
FEW ENGINES TOO.
BUT HONESTLY THEY CAN'T REALLY
GET TO ALL THEIR PLANS
AND PROJECTS BECAUSE FIRST
THINGS FIRST THEY GOT TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY KEEP THE LIGHTS
ON.
ON.
ON. THE
ON. THE DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF SAYS
PEOPLE CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH
THEIR LEGISLATORS ABOUT THE
ISSUE, TALK TO THEM, MAYBE MAKE
SOME CHANGES, GET SOME HELP OR
THERE'S ALSO A WAY TO DONATE ON
THE IDANHA DETROIT FIRE
DISTRICTS WEBSITE.
DISTRICTS WEBSITE. OK, GOOD TO >> KNOW.
AND BY THE WAY, I JUST WANT TO
POINT OUT AGAIN IT'S BEEN SIX
MONTHS YOU'VE REALLY HAD THE
CHANCE TO FOLLOW THIS STORY IN
DEPTH AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT?
THAT?
THAT? HOW'S THAT BEEN GOING >>?
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY
BEEN SIX MONTHS KIND OF CRAZY.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE KEPT CHECKING
BACK IN ON THESE AREAS ACROSS
THE STATE.
THE STATE. WE'VE TALKED TO FAMILIES WHO'VE
LOST THEIR HOMES.
WE'VE TALKED TO KIDS, SCHOOL
DISTRICTS.
DISTRICTS. WE'VE KEPT UP ON RECOVERY AS
BEST AS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO.
PEOPLE LIVING IN FIRE AFFECTED
AREAS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE
PROCESS TO GET HELP IS REALLY
SLOW GOING BUREAUCRATIC WITH
RED TAPE I MEAN STATEWIDE ABOUT
FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE LOST THEIR
HOMES DUE TO THESE FIRES.
I TALKED TO A FEMA SPOKESPERSON
TODAY AND THEY TOLD ME ONLY TWO
HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR FAMILIES
QUALIFY FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING LIKE A
MOBILE HOME THAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT AND ONLY ONE HUNDRED OR
SO OF THEM ARE CURRENTLY IN
FEMA TEMPORARY HOUSING.
SO STILL A LONG WAY TO GO.
STILL A LOT OF FAMILIES ARE
JUST TRYING TO GET BY.