ELK, Wash. – When the sheriff’s deputies drove up to their house to tell them to evacuate a year ago, the Johnsons knew they didn’t have much time. They grabbed some pictures, important documents, and a basketball signed by Michael Jordan before rushing away. Now, that’s all they have left of their old home.
The Johnsons had lived in that home for 10 years. They raised three kids there, all of whom graduated from Riverside High School.
They had just returned from a trip to Mexico two days before the fire. They were at the grocery store when they first heard about it.
At first, they didn’t think the fire would reach them. Then the wind changed directions…
That’s when the sheriff’s deputy told them to leave, so they went to Riverside High School, where they monitored their security camera for hours to see if their home had burned down.
Eventually, they lost power, and their camera stopped feeding, but they stayed optimistic. They sent one of the boys with their dad to see if their house was still standing.
“We kind of just gunned it through a little fire line,” said Craig Johnson, the father. “[We] pulled into the driveway, and the house was just blazing. At that point, I called my wife and just said, ‘We’re done. The house is gone…’”
Tera, the mom, couldn’t believe it until she saw it herself. In the moment, the Johnsons considered moving somewhere else, but it was their love for their community that kept them there.
Just two days after their house burned down, they already had a contractor ready to build their new shop.
Immediately after the fire, the Johnsons stayed at a hotel in the valley for about three weeks. Thankfully, their insurance helped to cover that.
Then they got a rental a few blocks away from their property, where they stayed while building a new shop.
Once the shop was built six months ago, there was only enough room for the parents to move in, so they had one boy staying in the rental and another in the RV.
That’s how they lived until just over three weeks ago when they finished their house enough to finally move back in, which Mom was pretty excited about.
“We designed this, and it’s suited for our needs,” said Tera Johnson, the mom. “It’s amazing, it’s very exciting, because it’s ours again. It’s like coming home…”
The Johnsons say they still have some work to do on their new house, but they are happy with where they are and aren’t planning on moving anytime soon.
