Maria GivensCoeur d’Alene

Normally, these Reflections posts share updates on projects and perspectives on my new and growing business. But this has not been a normal August in the Inland Northwest. Especially for my hometown of Spokane, Washington.

As some of you may know, I live in my Coeur d’Alene ancestral homelands in Spokane, Washington. I moved here in 2025 when my parents got sick, and it’s been home base ever since.

On the first Saturday in August, I was doing what I normally would do: attending the Kalispel Powwow in Cusick. My Aunt Sue and I drove up to make a day of going to a powwow that our family has been attending for generations. My Uncle Dave was vending there, so I wanted to see him, grab some earrings for work, maybe get a powwow burger and a T-shirt. It was going to be a fun day. We largely ignored the Red Flag Warnings on our phones — we’ve dealt with big winds before. Today was for fun. It’s the Kalispel Powwow, after all.

A the Kalispel Powwow, before the evacuation alerts. (Photo by Maria Givens)

When we got to Cusick, the winds were almost unbearable. My skin felt windburnt after just a few hours outside. Aunt Sue and I decided to call it a day a few hours early to get back to Spokane — and I am so glad we did.

As we drove back into the city, both of our phones started blaring with evacuation notifications. My house was in the middle of a Level 3 evacuation zone. Three fires were burning in the City of Spokane. Not just on the outskirts of town — in the city. And my house was somehow in the center of that triangle.

The traffic leaving town was thick, strange for a town my yaya used to call a “cow town.” I saw military helicopters hauling water from the golf course to drop on the fires. It felt like War of the Worlds.

As we stopped at a red light, I made a plan: grab the dog, my late mother’s regalia, my hard drive with all my video footage, my laptop, and documents. Put them in the car. Leave a sprinkler going in the backyard. Head north to the cabin and pray. Aunt Sue agreed.

We drove down my empty street and saw only one neighbor weed whacking with headphones on, painfully aloof to the burning city around him.

It took only six minutes to grab all my items and pack up the car. Six minutes to grab what was important — the few items that money or insurance claims couldn’t replace. I drove away from my house not knowing if that would be the last time I’d ever see it. I said a little prayer as I drove away.

I was lucky to have a place to go that evening: our family cabin. I was also lucky to be surrounded by aunts and uncles that night and the following morning.

I am also extremely lucky to be back writing this post from my home in Spokane, on my couch, with everything still in one piece. Not burnt. No damage other than a bit of smoke damage on some steps in the backyard that a power wash can fix. Not everyone in Spokane is so lucky. More than 900 homes were damaged or destroyed by the fires. Fortunately, no lives were lost. The city is still reeling, and we’ll be finding ways to rebuild for years to come, I’m sure.

If you’d like to help our Spokane community recover and rebuild, I encourage you to consider making a donation to support those impacted by the fires. Here are a few local organizations and funds supporting recovery, relief, and fire response in our community:

Now that the fires have been put out and the smoke has cleared, for the most part, we’re turning a new page here in Spokane. I wanted to touch base to let you know that I am grateful to be here. I am grateful for the opportunity to be in business. I am grateful for the connections I have with you.

Lim.lemtsh,
Maria

This op-ed was originally posted on Maria Givens’ website, Reflections.

The post Evacuating the Spokane fires: What I took with me appeared first on ICT.

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