MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. – A year after the devastating Gray Fire, the Mengarelli family is back on their feet, thanks to overwhelming community support.
While sisters Kirra, Kaia, and Kylie Mengarelli walk through their lush garden, picking dahlias—a stark contrast to the charred remains of last year’s fire, Jennifer and Riley Mengarelli remember the day vividly.
“It was like, instant life change overnight,” Jennifer said.
Kirra, their oldest, can sum up how she remembers the day as simply being “scared.”
The fire forced the family to evacuate quickly.
“She got all of her sisters into the car seats, and I threw the dog in and we were off,” Jennifer said.
Despite Riley’s efforts to save their home, the fire caused significant damage, destroying two homes, two barns, fencing, and shelters.
Yet, amidst the chaos, the community stepped up. Farmers brought hay without being asked, and Mennonites rebuilt their fencing in just a few hours. A family from the Freeman area even provided a camper for them to live in while they rebuilt.
The support continued as the family navigated a winter in an RV, which was hard for Jennifer and Riley, but “amazing” for the girls, who celebrated birthdays there.
The scars of the Gray Fire remain, both physically and emotionally. “The girls, they see smoke, they smell smoke… ‘there’s a fire, where is it?’” Riley explained.
But faith and optimism have taken root alongside their dahlias. The girls even started making blessing bouquets to raise money for neighbors right after the fire.
