MOSCOW, Idaho – Many people near the Gwen Fire in northern Idaho are scared they won’t have a home to return to once crews get a handle on the fire.
One woman who lost her house in a wildfire near Kendrick last week showed up to an evacuation center to help people who were forced to evacuate.
“I went out of the building and could see the smoke building up,” said Texas Fire survivor Marsha Shoeffler.
Shoeffler was washing cherries when her neighbor knocked on her door, telling her a wildfire was burning a mile away from her house.
“It was really pretty before the fire came through,” Shoeffler said.
Shoeffler was living on land that had been in her family since her great grandfather. Last week, her home was burned down and her forest destroyed.
“I had about an hour to pack up my most valuable things,” Shoeffler said.
Friday, families in Juliaetta had to do the same thing – leave their homes and property behind due to the Gwen Fire.
“We have had multiple houses and other structures lost,” said Latah County Commissioner Tom Lamer. “It is devastating for those families.”
The Gwen Fire caused the entire town of Juliaetta to evacuate. It has already destroyed multiple structures.
RELATED: Gwen Fire grows to 20,000 acres, Juliaetta remains Level 3 evacuations
Officers said the unpredictable weather makes it hard to predict the future impact of the fire.
“It is scary and uncertain. There is a little bit of chaos and worry, there are people’s homes that could potentially be taken in a fire,” said Latah County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Riley Harkins.
Despite the uncertainty, the Latah and Nez Perce communities have stayed resilience. Coffee shops in downtown Moscow have given out free drinks and meals.
Churches have also stepped up to help in any way possible.
For people like Shoeffler, they are showing strength of the community despite these hard times.
“It is one thing I can do. I am a fiddler and I can give my tune,” Shoeffler said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Shoeffler recover from losing her home in the Texas Fire. You can find the GoFundMe here.
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