Wildfire Threatens HFH Build

In mid-August, the Milli wildfire, rated the number one priority of all wildfires in the nation, threatened the tourist town of Sisters, scene of the most recent Habitat for Humanity construction build in which Tim and I participated.

Street lampposts before and during the fire

The wildfire nine miles west of the town originated when lightning struck in the Deschutes National Forest on Friday, August 11th.  

Habitat home

Eight days later, subdivisions in the outlying areas of the town were evacuated.  

Over 670 fire-fighting personnel rallied to try to contain the blaze by building backfires on the ground and dropping fire retardant from the sky.  However, they could do nothing about the smoke.  The community's air quality index climbed to the upper 500s, the highest AQI level and labeled hazardous.

Under the threat of immediate evacuation, Habitat volunteers, including eight participating in the organization's Care-A-Vanners, a program that recruits anyone who travels by recreational vehicle, labored to complete the house for homeowner Sharyn by this fall. 

Bottom: Cindy, Larry, Margot, Darleene (construction manager), Fred
Top:  Tim, Kamella, Joyce, Bryan

Local volunteers installed cabinets and baseboard inside the house while the Care-A-Vanners, including Tim and I, donned respirators and air-filtered face masks to paint its exterior. 

Our Care-A-Vanner crew included:

Larry & Margot Durham from Goleta, CA

Fred & Joyce DiManno from Boulder City, NV

Bryan & Kamella Modrall from Depoe Bay, OR

During the first week of the our two-week build, the air quality was just rated "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups," so it was still possible for us to repaint the Habitat Thrift Store before we moved to Sharyn's house. 

However, as the wildfire spread to engulf more than 18,000 acres, the smoke laden with ash drifted over the town, making it more and more difficult to breathe.  Still, a little determination can go a long way.  Our goal was to complete the exterior of Sharyn's house and here's how we did it.

By the end of the week when we gathered on the front porch, Sharyn's house was no longer primer white but a tasteful bluish gray.  

Our objective was achieved.  Now, if only the firefighters could contain Milli!