Marc Brooks grew up in Colton; When the forest fires hit so close to his hometown in September and the evacuation notice was given, he wanted to help.
He said he had noticed numerous posts on social media about issues related to evacuating large animals, particularly horses and cows. He found it helpful and created a Facebook page to connect people who needed help evacuating animals, people with vehicles that could be used for transportation, and people who had room. to accommodate large animals again.
Logistics came together and Brooks was able to help match volunteers with those who needed help getting their animals to safety.
During this time, Brooks met Norma Jean Washburn of Salmon River Grange who was running a survival aid program. He needed someone to come to the small town of Otis to check the needs and the work going on there.
"Our local news was about the riverside and Beachie Creek fires," Brooks said, "but we haven't heard much about the fire at the Echo Mountain Complex, which is over 2,500 acres, over 1,200 buildings, and 300 houses in the small City was on fire. " Otis. ""
Brooks said that there are still many displaced people in Otis and that this is an ongoing project to clean up the area in preparation for rebuilding.
Most of the homes were prefabricated, and Brooks said many residents were uninsured or underinsured. Therefore, property cleaning has been an important need. He said it costs between $ 18,000 and $ 25,000 to hire professionals to clean the property.
Brooks joined the new Cascade 501 (c) 3 rescue team comprised of Bethany Howe, Corey Rivera, Meylinda, and Tye Smalls who had teamed up to help Otis rebuild.
The group worked to remove structures and debris, fall trees, and scrape off dirt. There is also a lot of sifting through the ash left behind after the fire. Volunteers must separate asbestos asbestos for hazardous waste disposal. They sift uncontaminated ashes to remove metal before disposal and to find personal effects.
"We found wedding rings and other special keepsakes for their owners," said Brooks.
Brooks found 25 properties to be completed and another 65 to be done. CRT continues to need volunteers to help clean up and donations to meet the new housing needs.
Brooks thanks his employer, Credit Life, for giving them support and time to contribute to the Otis project. Designed the website and organized the financial and volunteer efforts. Please visit the Cascade Relief Team Resources Facebook page for more information.
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