Prepare for next fires

I joined several other families Aug. 29. in bringing food and supplies up to the firefighters and support crew based out of Wellpinit. The outpouring of care for one another was special to behold. Afterward, as they filed by shaking our hands and expressing their gratitude, the feeling that it wasn’t enough haunted me.

All across the West, formal and informal support networks are popping up, alongside more established services like the Red Cross, to bring relief to families and the wildland firefighters. This has taken time to organize, and the resources are not enough to address the fires or the need in their wake as crews skip on sleep in their efforts to contain the blaze.

More than one-time efforts, we owe it to them to already be preparing for the next summer’s anticipated fires after another probable low snowpack. We must hold our elected officials accountable, and ensure that fire crews have proper funding, resources and manpower. And as we set up donation drives and relief efforts for today’s fires, let’s figure out how to cement these relationships and processes intentionally so we are ready to go the moment that smoke rises on the horizon.

Jessa Lewis

Spokane Valley