The Pine Creek Community Long-Term Recovery Organization
On September 7, 2020 wildfires raged through northern Whitman County, Washington, fanned by wind gusts as high as 50 mph. The Babb Road Fire consumed more than 15,000 acres of Palouse farmland and habitat and engulfed the towns of Malden and Pine City, forcing nearly 200 residents to evacuate.
The fast-moving fire consumed the Town of Malden in 2 ½ hours, spewing briquette-sized embers and destroying 80% of the Town’s buildings, many down to their foundations. Among the rubble are the majority of homes and the town’s only post office, town hall, fire station, food bank, and library.
Eighty percent of the homes and buildings were burned, many down to their foundations, leaving the streets in rubble. The community was most fortunate that there was no loss of human life.
In the aftermath of the fire, community leaders came together to think about the future. How will we recover? How will we be better prepared for the next crisis?
The outcome of these conversations is the Pine Creek Community Restoration Long Term Recovery Organization (LTRO). The LTRO has been dedicated to learning about the impacts of the fire, securing resources to help individuals and families, and mapping a pathway to recovery.
LTRO BOARD MEMBERS
Heather VanDyke, Chair
Christine Oakley, Interim Vice Chair
Rachel Blakeley, Secretary + Co-Treasurer
Mark Posthuma, Co-Treasurer
Alyssa Hale, Board Member
Janell Turner, Board Member
LTRO OPERATIONS TEAM — CONTRACTED
John Goyke, Construction Manager, LTRO + Town of Malden
pending, Executive Director
vacant, Assistant Director
Robin Fahle Ohlgren, Communication and Outreach Specialist
Dave Reynolds, Disaster Case Management (DCM) Lead
LTRO OPERATIONS TEAM — VOLUNTEERS + AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES
Doug Arlt, Volunteer Coordinator
Georgia Beck, Housing Solutions, Whitman Community Action Center
Gerry Bozarth, Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Specialist, Spokane County Emergency Management
Kathy Bryson, Disaster Response Coordinator, Pacific Northwest United Methodist Church
Scott Cooper, Director of Parish Social Ministries, Catholic Charities Eastern Washington
Matthew Gower, Behavioral Health Administrator, Washington State Health Care Authority
Julia Havens, Community Engagement Manager, Washington State Department of Commerce
Micki Harnois, Clerk, Town of Malden
Dan Harwood, Mayor, Town of Malden
Paul Kimmell, Palouse Regional Business and Public Affairs Manager, Avista Corporation
Kim Maxfield, Case Manager, Washington Masonic Charities
Eva Nguyen, Recovery Coordinator, United Policyholders
Meghan O’Hara, Regional Disaster Officer, NW Region American Red Cross
Christine Oakley, Wildfire Task Force Representative, United Way of Whitman County
Jody Opheim, Grants Manager, Town of Malden
Molly Sanchez, Director of Grants and Community Engagement, Innovia Foundation
Bill Tensfeld, Director, Whitman County Emergency Management
Jennifer Wallace, Executive Director, Palouse Habitat for Humanity
Get in Touch. Get Involved.
Send us a message if you need recovery assistance or have ideas about helping our community rebuild.
Tell us how we are doing. We want to hear from you.
Pine Creek Community Operations
P.O. Box 47, Rosalia, WA 99170
Office Hours: M-F, 9 a.m-5 p.m. Tel: 1-509-508-9806
214 W. Moreland Avenue, Malden, WA