The Holiday Farm Fire has scorched the McKenzie River Corridor area for more than a week now. Some residents from the ravaged areas have been allowed back to survey the damage.
Hundreds of people fled their homes in the middle of the night last week, as the fire blazed through the dry terrain. Tim Laue of Blue River recalls people driving to Eugene on the wheel rims of their cars, because the heat melted their tires.
Laue’s since gone back, to find his house and guest cottage burned to the foundations.
“It’s an emotionally hard thing to do, because you’ve lost – in my case – 50 years of your life," Laue told KLCC. "My piano, the art we had, and the things you keep to remember family, to celebrate your children. Those are all gone.”
Laue says as president of the McKenzie Community Development Corporation, he’s working with relief organizations to provide support for other affected residents. He says helping his neighbors grieve and rebuild will keep him going through this difficult time as well.
Copyright 2020, KLCC.