Forest Fire, Kamiah, Idaho 2015
The local credit union is matching monetary donations dollar for dollar, up to $100,000. Donations can be made via Paypal by sending to the email address: Kamiahfirerelief@kamiahccu.org
Or if you prefer to mail a donation in, the address is:
Kamiah Community Credit Union
P.O. Box 68
Kamiah, Idaho
83536
August 11th, 2015 brought lightning to the Kamiah valley and surrounding areas. It started over two dozen fires within thirty minutes. That in combination with a dry summer and winds that reached over 50 mph, the fires quickly grew out of control, destroying nearly fifty homes and more than 70 other structures. Kamiah is a small town of around 1,300 people on the Nez Perce reservation. As you can imagine, loss such as this is taking an enormous toll on the small community. Donations from nearby towns have been rolling in, but devastation of this magnitude will take months to reverse, not considering the environmental toll. These fires continue to burn as I upload this video. The Clearwater complex fire has burned 58,000 acres and growing. The lawyer complex fire, made up of several fires, has burned roughly 31,000 acres. The nearby town of Greer has recently been evacuated due to fires also. Through all of this, Kamiah has shown the true meaning of community by coming together to help save homes threatened by fire, when firefighters are spread too thin. They watch out for each other's livestock and other animals. Bring water and food to those who have no way into town and are stranded without electricity. Locally owned gas stations donated fuel so citizens could make fire lines to try and save homes. Neighbors helping neighbors. All that has mattered is survival and when it came right down to it, they could count on one another. This is where I grew up, where my parents and grandparents grew up, my husband, and his family, much further back than mine. I'm proud of our town, and although I no longer reside there, I'm proud to call Kamiah my hometown.
These photos were taken by many different people in the Kamiah area including local photographers Brian Wilkins and Robert Millage.
VIEW HERE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be6krj8V5lE&feature=youtu.be