Five years ago this week, the Carlton Complex Fire raged all around us and the valley reeled from its devastation. The fire was the catalyst for an unprecedented community response. In the July 17, 2019 newspaper on page (B1), we took a look at the results of those recovery efforts. Inside the B section, we […]
Long Term Recovery
Taking the long view
Fire preparedness is the new focus for county recovery group Five years after the Carlton Complex Fire destroyed almost 300 houses in the Methow Valley, Pateros and the Chiliwist, the group that helped survivors rebuild and recover is shifting its focus to make sure people are not caught unprepared if — or when — there’s another disaster. “We not […]
Helping the helpers: assistance for disaster leadership teams
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the emotion and logistics of disaster recovery. So when Mennonite Disaster Service, a national expert in disaster response and recovery, brought together people across the country who’d been through similar situations for a weekend workshop, it was cathartic, said Carlene Anders, executive director of the Okanogan County Long Term […]
Education and readiness: the vital work continues
As the Okanogan County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG) moves into resiliency and preparedness, it is educating people about Firewise practices — using fire-proof building materials, screening vents, and creating an area around a home that will be resistant to fire. Through their Green Again campaign, the organization has distributed native fire-resistant plants to fire survivors to […]
Winthrop urged to become ‘Fire-Adapted’
When it comes to wildfires, Winthrop has dodged the bullet so far, but a local resident is suggesting that town leaders do more to prepare for a time when the town may not be so fortunate.
“We’ve been really lucky in our community,” Winthrop resident …
Local long-term recovery groups look back on accomplishments
When people came together to help during the devastating Carlton Complex Fire in July 2014, they were focused on getting food, water and shelter to people who’d lost their homes, not on …
AmeriCorps volunteers have built an impressive legacy in Methow Valley
The Methow Valley would be a different place without the contributions of dozens of vigorous young people working as AmeriCorps volunteers.
Over the past half-dozen years, individuals and groups have helped with remodeling and landscaping at TwispWorks, built fences for wildfire survivors, cleared mud deposited by flash floods,
Carlton Complex Fire recovery continues three years later
Efforts focused on rebuilding, better communications, preparedness By Marcy Stamper and Ann McCreary Methow Valley residents may have felt an uneasy sense of déjà vu this week as temperatures heated up and smoke drifted into the valley from British Columbia wildfires. Three years ago on July 14, a lightning storm sparked four separate fires — three in […]
Ready hired as Methow Housing Trust executive director
Danica Ready, who has devoted her professional career to working with nonprofits that hold land in trust for public benefit, has been hired as the first executive director of the Methow Housing Trust, a nonprofit launched in March to create affordable housing in the Methow Valley.
Team Rubicon takes on McClure Mountain
Vital infrastructure for emergency communications, phone service and radio broadcasts will be better protected from wildfire after a dozen volunteers with Team Rubicon finish thinning dense stands of dog-hair trees on the summit of McClure Mountain next week.
