As Wildfires Ravage Spokane, Chabad Assists Displaced Families
by Faygie Levy Holt – chabad.org
Three wildfires continue to burn across eastern Washington State, having already consumed more than 10,000 acres and damaged or destroyed at least 600 structures. Roughly 60,000 residents of Spokane and Stevens counties have been ordered to evacuate since the fires broke out on Saturday morning.
More than 900 firefighters, some arriving from neighboring states, are working to contain the blazes, which a government incident report listed as zero percent contained as of Tuesday morning, though two of the three fires have “moderated significantly.”
“Gusty winds will continue to influence fire behavior today as firefighters continue their full suppression efforts,” the report noted, adding that additional equipment has been brought in to assist.
Rabbi Yisrael and Chaya Sarah Hahn have led Chabad-Lubavitch of Spokane for two decades. The fires erupted on Shabbat, when Jewish law prohibits the use of electronic devices such as phones and computers, and the couple learned of the conflagration when an employee told them the flames were “out of control.” The Chabad center sits roughly 20 minutes from the fire zone.
The Hahns have since been checking in on members of their community. Some had been evacuated, but were spared the worst of the destruction. By Sunday, the rabbi was touring the wider area to assess what Chabad could do to help.
“I went from one place to another, and there’s a lot of blocked areas,” he said.
What he encountered, he said, was destruction that felt “surreal”: water pouring from broken pipes, smoldering embers where houses once stood.
“You see these pictures, and you don’t realize; there’s nothing like seeing it for real,” Hahn said. “You can tell it was a beautiful house, a gorgeous, well-maintained home. You can imagine the family running away in minutes, and thank G‑d, alive but losing everything, and then you see there’s another house and another house. It’s just heartbreaking.”
Unlike an earlier wildfire that struck the region several years ago, this one reached into the city itself, Hahn said: “If you look at the pictures, the fire took a bite. There were tremendous winds, and it just went inward.”
Among his stops on Sunday was the regional fire command center, where Hahn met with Marty Cohn, a California fire official deployed to Spokane as part of an interagency response to the wildfires.
On Monday, Hahn said, Chabad began delivering snacks, electrolyte drinks and hygiene supplies, including wipes and toothbrushes, to firefighters on the front lines.
The need, he said, extends well beyond those battling the flames. Though he believes that most residents affected by the fires carry insurance, Hahn said many face an immediate gap before claims are processed. Chabad of Spokane has launched a fundraising campaign to help cover residents’ urgent needs, including clothing, toiletries and medication, while they wait.
“We shouldn’t have the attitude that we are safe, we’re taken care of, our house isn’t burned down, let’s move on,” Hahn said, recalling how the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—sent his shluchim to every corner of the world to help others. “Rather, when something happens, we see what we can do to help.”
To contribute to Chabad of Spokane’s efforts, click here.
