TYLER, Wash – A year after the Gray Fire in Medical Lake, the destruction caused by wildfires continues. Last week, the Achziger family lost their home in the Columbia Basin Fire.
Matthew Achziger was at work when he got the call that his home was in a level three evacuation zone. His stepdaughter and her fiance were still on the property, so he said he only had one thing on his mind: “I needed to get home.”
Achziger said first responders would not let him return to his home because the risk was too high. He added that when his family left the home, the fire had reached the property line.
“Those trees over there, that’s as close as it was when he was leaving.”
Luckily, they were able to leave the area safely, “it’s just super scary that there was a possibility that they could have been stuck inside.”
However, his home was lost.
“It’s just gone.”
Achziger said it’s hard to put how he was feeling into words, “there is nothing I can say to people to prepare them for how it feels.”
He said that in this region, this could happen to anyone, ” fire is super unforgiving. It doesn’t care who you are; it’s going to do what it’s going to do.”
Almost a week has passed since the fire, and he said all he can do is keep looking to the future,” I never really stopped and thought about how it is; it’s just what I have to do.”
