ELK, Wash. — The Oregon Road Fire, a wildfire in Elk, Wash. that has grown to over 11,000 acres, has left a trail of destruction in its wake, taking not only land but also cherished memories and homes. KREM 2 heard from family that was hit especially hard.
Christopher Hunt, standing amidst the remains of what was once his home, could hardly believe the reality that surrounded him. His grandfather had purchased this land back in the 1960s, a foundation upon which multiple generations had built their lives.
"Flames came down the field here and surrounded the place and just took over," Hunt recalled.
For Jennifer Ekkert, the loss was more than material possessions; it was the evaporation of cherished childhood memories and family history.
"All my childhood memories, everything is out there. Not just my grandpa and my dad live there, my aunt and uncle and my other aunt and uncle," Ekkert said.
The devastation was profound, erasing decades of hard work and shared experiences. Ekkert expressed the incomprehensible loss her family faced: "I don't know if I have words, just to see everything gone. All my family's life, my grandpa built the house, the sawmill, the planer. All he's worked hard for his whole life is gone."
In the initial hours of the fire, Christopher Hunt exhibited incredible courage, pulling his grandfather from the engulfed house just as flames closed in. The Hillside, where other Hunt family members resided, faced the same perilous fate, leaving them with mere minutes to evacuate.
"All you could hear was a jet engine, sounded like a roar. You could hear it but couldn't quite see it," described Leanna Hunt, a member of the family.
Leanna and her husband now sort through the scant remains, a daunting task in the face of the profound emptiness.
"We had two sons that had muscular dystrophy and they both passed away. And everything they ever made or ever got me for Mother's Day, Father's Day. It's all gone. You just can't replace that kind of stuff," Leanna Hunt said.
Christopher Hunt added, "Just devastating. I'm still kind of in shock about it."
Despite their temporary accommodations, the Hunt family clings to their unity and dreams of rebuilding what was lost.
Jennifer Ekkert expressed the surreal nature of the tragedy: "It feels like a nightmare. There's just no way in this world all of that could be gone, no way."
Though the grief is palpable, the Hunt family is resilient and determined to rebuild. A fundraiser has been initiated to aid their efforts in resurrecting what was lost.
As the Oregon Road Fire continues to consume acres of land and memories, the Hunt family stands as a symbol of strength amidst adversity.
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