Commissioners hold Burdoin Fire meeting; a perspective from Confluence Café co-owner

“I need information to make rational decisions about my property ... If you can explain it to me, I’ll believe you,” said David Sauter, a former county commissioner who lives off Old Highway 8. “There’s a lot of folks now that I’ve talked to who said, ‘I’m not leaving next time.’ That’s the thing that worries me. There are times that you do need to leave.”

Undergirding that sentiment was frustration over the length of evacuation orders and residents not receiving satisfactory reasons as to why they couldn’t return. Sauter also emphasized the confusion about what role Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) plays in wildfire response.

According to Lyle Fire Department Captain Peter Lovejoy, who’s served for the past 24 years, DNR specializes in wildland operations and does not have the equipment or expertise to combat structure fires once a home ignites. If folks see DNR trucks nearby, but are unaware of that distinction, Sauter expressed how it creates a false sense of security. More fundamentally, however, several people said they didn’t receive emergency information quickly enough, or knew where to find credible sources and get answers.

“One thing I felt lacking in this situation was an understanding of the chain of command,” said High Prairie resident Anne Kanter. “We don’t know who to talk to and who to question and who’s making the decision.”

Kanter pressed the commissioners to adequately fund public safety and emergency services. Recognizing the limitations of broadband access, Jenne Patterson, Snowden resident and code compliance officer for White Salmon, also suggested the county invest in a radio alert system to push out messages for future incidents, which was met with applause. Minutes later, a different proposal from Lovejoy garnered an even more enthusiastic response.

“I would encourage everyone here as a community to begin having a conversation about making fireworks illegal on the Fourth of July,” he said. Currently, Klickitat County permits fireworks for limited windows on July 4 and New Year’s Eve, though cities have separate policies. The cause of the Burdoin Fire is still under investigation.

Resident Jesse Schnieder then brought up home insurance, explaining how providers are already denying coverage to people across the county, and predicting that the Burdoin Fire is only going to exacerbate the issue. Throughout the meeting, the three commissioners seldom responded to individual concerns, but Commissioner Ron Ihring said it’s just the beginning of a longer process.

“Everybody’s who dealing with this understands that we will have lessons learned, we will have some very clear answers and probably our follow-up is to come back down here,” said Ihring. “Our [goal] is getting information from people who live in the community, what you’re dealing with, what you’re going to deal with and what we could possibly help with.”

Afterward, several local, state and national agencies, like Washington Gorge Action Programs, Underwood Conservation District, Washington’s Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the Red Cross and others, set up tables to assist affected residents in meeting their recovery needs.

Of note, Joel Haarstad from Washington’s Division of Emergency Management announced that Klickitat County is not eligible for disaster relief funding from the Federal Emergency Managment Agency, and that the state doesn’t currently have funding available for debris cleanup.

‘To hold the hand’

While the Burdoin Fire was actively burning, co-owners Ali Hamerstadt and Matt Bynum opened the Confluence Café, prominently located at the intersection of State Routes 14 and 142 in Lyle, as a “canteen” for firefighters. With food donations from several businesses, like the White Salmon Bakery, and locals, some of whom helped cover 12-hour shifts, they gave crews a respite from base camp and some much-needed, free coffee.

After fire personnel gradually cleared out and evacuation orders were lifted, they’ve also listened to and spoken with many residents returning home to see what remains.

“A bunch of well-intentioned folks saying things like, ‘How are you? How’s your home? How’s everything?’ can be kind of triggering,” said Bynum. “We’re all still in fight or flight mode, except now, how do we proceed? Most of us have never been through this.”

The two didn’t lose their house, but in working behind the coffee bar during an incredibly turbulent time, Bynum approaches conversations with care. He knows those small questions have very big, complex answers.

“Sincerity matters, and polite is fine for the day-to-day, but when it counts, we have to be better,” he said. “No problems are going to be solved with a few words. Sometimes it’s really important just to be quiet, squeeze the shoulder, to hold the hand.”

Bynum deeply appreciates community, and, in part, he and Hamerstadt opened Confluence Café because they recognized how Lyle had few spaces for residents to gather. With the piles of distorted metal along Old Highway 8 and Courtney Road, normally green oak leaves now turned a crispy brown, vineyards and grazeland scorched, Bynum believes that residents need to let out their grief and be vulnerable together rather than carry the burden alone, and he’s seeing that both inside and outside of the café.

Not just longtime friends, but neighbors, helped others load cars and wrangle pets when it was time to evacuate, and those who stayed offered to feed animals left behind, a sobering reminder that disaster often brings communities closer.

“There are no islands. We all need all of us, and it’s easy to forget,” said Bynum. “Whether it’s in this town or in the Gorge, you never know who’s going to help you out. We all need help sometimes.”