PHOENIX, Ore. — Hundreds of Rogue Valley homeowners left with nothing after the Almeda Fire devastated the cities of Phoenix and Talent last Tuesday burning 2,800 structures and killing 3 people.
Now, Jackson County leaders say the road to recovery is just beginning.
“Most of us in this community have not been through this before,” said John Vial, director of Jackson Co. Parks and Roads.
The first step, Vial says, is for affected homeowners to meet with a FEMA representative.
“Meet with individuals who had a loss and help them get that claims process started, so they can get back on their feet,” he said.
Vial says there will be federal funding for cleanup efforts, so it’s important not to sift through ash and debris at your burned home.
“I think some people want to go in and clean up right now and we understand that, but give us time to get those steps in place so you don’t disqualify yourself from something,” said Vial.
“Making the community safe for people to come back to view their losses was, I think, one of the most difficult things that we had to do,” said Melissa Schuster, a Paradise homeowner.
The recovery process is something Schuster says could take decades.
“The fire is a thing that happened, the story is in our recovery,” she said.
Schuster’s home burned down in the deadly Camp Fire in 2018 burning more than 153,000 acres and killing dozens of people.
“Give people grace when people lash out its because they’re in pain, recognize that, reach through that, and sometimes people may lash out angrily and they’re really just looking for a kind ear to listen to them,” she said.
Although the fire took their town, Schuster says it didn’t take everything.
“People came together in ways that were just phenomenal. I always say people are at their best when things are at their worst,” she said.
It’s the same sentiment Jackson County leaders are sharing today as people from all walks of life step up to help each other.
“We are sorry that our community has suffered like this, but we are grateful we live in a community showing the kind of caring we’re seeing today,” said Vial.
The county is in the process of developing a recovery center that will be a one-stop-shop to get resources for those impacted by the Almeda Fire.
We’re told it should be up and running by next week.
Click here to get registered with FEMA or dial 211 for general assistance.
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