a day ago
‘Things I can't replace': Homeowners reflect on Rowena Fire after losing everything
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Rowena Fire continues to rage in Wasco County, where winds are picking up and creating a challenge for firefighters while local residents reckon with the blaze's aftermath.
Helicopters and planes have performed water drops between Mosier and The Dalles all Thursday to aid in the fight against the .
READ MORE: Rowena Fire burning in Wasco County was human-caused, wildland officials say
Among the devastation are several homes and cars along Highway 30 that are now completely leveled by the fire. One resident, Nick Grzych, showed KOIN 6 News that he lost everything.
Where his house stood just days ago, he spent the day sifting through a pile of rubble, burnt metal, ash, and debris. That's all there is left of the home he shared with his son for five years.
Grzych said he was visiting the coast with family when evacuation alerts began pouring in Wednesday afternoon.
'I got a Level 3 by the time I was in Cascade Locks, and by the time I hit Hood River, my neighbor called me and sent me pictures of what was going on,' he said. 'It was fast. It was really fast'
KOIN 6 spoke with him as he saw the state of his property for the first time.
'I'm more sad about the things I can't replace, the pictures, some of my son's artwork,' he said. 'But the rest of it's just stuff. You know, you can buy more stuff. I'm sad about the missed opportunities of my son growing up here.'
Oregon State Police and the Wasco County Sheriff's Office are actively on the ground today combing through the devastation to count the structures lost. At least 20 structures have been destroyed.
'We did everything we could to mitigate the fire danger, but fires don't care,' he said. 'I mean, there's nothing we can do. If I was here, it wouldn't have been any different. So, I'm just glad everybody was safe.'
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Grzych said while he always knew it was a risk living in the area, he never thought he would be impacted by the fires.
'Just kind of one of those, 'You never think it's going to happen to you,' but it's very real. It does,' Grzych said.
KOIN 6 spoke with others who lost their home, including Floyd Barber Jr., who has lived in Rowena for 35 years. A barren landscape is all that remains in the area where his home once was.
Barber, who just had heart surgery and sells raspberries at the Saturday market, said he and his family are still trying to figure out what they're going to do next without the aid of insurance.
'It's hard to swallow all this. It really is,' Barber said.
Tialer Rundell escaped the blaze with his cats, a t-shirt and a phone charger, within minutes of devastation.
'My neighbor came across the street and he was pounding on the door and so I opened the door, and he said, 'There's a fire, we've got to go!' Rundell said. 'We got maybe a quarter of a mile away from the house or so and some of the flames were coming up the embankment, and so we had to drive through it, and so we couldn't see anything in front of us, and we could feel the heat through the car.'
Thankfully, Rundell and his young boys are staying with his mother in The Dalles.
'Everything is replaceable. But could've been a lot worse,' Rundell said.
There are currently GoFundMe fundraisers for both and .
It remains an active fire zone. Wasco deputies say they've had reports of people stopping along 1-84 and other unsafe areas to walk into Level 3 'Go Now' evacuation zones.
They are urging people to stay out of these dangerous areas for the public's safety and the safety of the multiple fire crews working to protect these properties.
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