"We Lost Everything" Families Devastated By Wildfire
These families need your support.
By Cole Goodwin
The Dalles, OR July 6, 2023–Several families lost their homes in the Milepost 86 fire on June 14th, 2023. But while some families GoFundMe’s quickly met their goal, others have been lagging behind. Fortunately, community organizers are working hard to ensure that they don’t get left behind.
Thelda Avila, fundraiser organizer and moderator of The Dalles Unedited Happenings Facebook page, is leading the effort. When the fire happened they’d been monitoring the page, as usual. But as the weeks passed she noticed that two of GoFundMe’s weren’t getting the same engagement as the other two. Concerned for her community, she began reaching out to see what could be done to support these families.
“I started calling around and saying these people need our help, and the amount of support that has been shown from businesses and the community has been overwhelming and amazing,” said Thelda.
One thing led to another, and now Thelda is in the midst of planning a two-day fundraising event at multiple locations in The Dalles on July 29th, and 30th. All proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit Kelly Kimball and John and Nicola Bruce who lost their homes in the fire.
Volunteers, donors, and community partners are still finalizing the details of the event. And as of the time of writing this story, it sounds like the community can look forward to a few different activities on those days including a raffle at the 6th Street Station Sunday Market, a chili feed hosted by Kimberly’s Cauldron, live music from Chris Mumford and the all veteran band Got Your Six, and a barbecue in the Safeway parking lot.
Still Living in the Burned Remains of His Home
Kelly Kimball sits on his burned stairs, with his dog Sister. The stairs were built for him by a local church after a horrific accident in which his prosthesis had come off as he stepped out of the trailer, causing him to fall in such a horrible way that he broke every single bone in his neck. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Kelly Kimball is a disabled man with dementia and bladder cancer.
He and his support dog Sister are still living in the remnants of his mobile home.
“I don’t have anywhere else to go,” said Kelly.
Kelly’s ex wife Tami Lemmon still looks after Kelly despite being disabled herself.
“We took vows when we got married, and we took vows when we got divorced,” she said.
Tami and Kelly are still smiling and supporting one another despite the heartbreaks of the past. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Tami outside of her custom built ADA accessible trailer. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
The two smile affectionately at one another.
“She’s been a lifesaver,” said Kelly.
Quite literally.
The day of the fire, Tami could be seen fighting back the fire from her wheelchair. At one point, she was so focused on helping others that she hadn’t even noticed that her shirt had caught fire. Luckily a kindly neighbor patted the fire out and later helped to treat her burns.
“We became a village… Everywhere you looked it was chaotic love,” said Tami. “There were neighbors grabbing each other's pets. Everyone was rescuing everyone. And the farm trucks shows up with water tanks and they saved us.”
Kelly had told Tami to evacuate because he was worried for her safety, then he returned to helping his neighbor. He was trying to put out the fire on their trailer, but suddenly, a propane tank blew.
“Then things just started exploding,” said Kelly.
An explosion torched Kelly’s mobile home, burning the utility lines. The fire also burned his sole form of independent transportation, his electric bike, and it also torched his porch.
“Just like that,” he said.
Kelly Kimball’s trailer after the fire. Contributed photo.
Unfortunately, Kelly didn’t have insurance. So, following the fire Tami spent everyday on the phone trying to help Kelly. Tami, who survives on disability benefits, even put up $2,250 towards a new trailer, which wasn’t quiet enough to get the job done. Thankfully, an anonymous donor picked up the rest of the tab, meaning Kelly’s new home should be well on it’s way to him.
Following that donation, Tami adjusted Kelly’s GoFundMe goal. So far the GoFundme has raised $610 of the $4,500 goal.
Tami and Kelly both expressed gratitude to the community and to God for the support they had received so far. Kelly said he was also grateful Sister had survived the fire and expressed deep sadness that his neighbors had lost their cat in the fire.
Kelly and Sister are an inseparable pair. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Donate to Kelly Kimball’s GoFundMe at: https://gofund.me/6b11a69a
“We Lost Everything”
Kelly’s neighbors John and Nicola Bruce, lost everything in the fire, including their cat.
Nicola and John Bruce. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
John, a retired veteran who works at Coca-Cola, recounted how he’d run outside and grabbed his hose to start watering things down the moment he’d smelled smoke, but that it was already too late.
“A cop pulled me out of there because the neighbor had a bunch of propane tanks in his backyard… He said that things going to blow, and I didn’t hear it because the wind was blowing so fast… I yelled at him, I said ‘I got to get my cat,’ and he says ‘there’s no time’ and then that’s when things start exploding,” said John.
“Niki lost her car. I lost my motorcycle. We lost everything,” said John. “All we had was the clothes on our back.”
Contributed photo.
Most devastatingly of all, was the loss of their cat, Lulu.
Lulu. Contributed photo.
“We lost our baby, our kitten. She was three years old,” said John, a sad smile on his face. “She was a tabby with a white underbelly, she used to talk to you.”
“She was the best mouser, she would bring me a mouse every day,” said Nicola, nodding along in remembrance.
The pair had lived in the park for two years after having downsized from a house to a fifth wheel full of nothing but their most sentimental things. The move was made in preparation for retirement. The two were looking forward to living a more mobile lifestyle full of motorcycle adventures.
“We’re adventurous. We like to go places and see things,” said John.
The pair used to travel all over on their Honda Shadow Spirit VT1100.
But for now, with costs stacking up, their adventures on the road may have to wait a while longer.
“The first two days me and Niki were homeless, we spent a grand,” said John. “We didn’t have any clothes, we had to pay almost $400 for four nights at Motel 6…we paid out of pocket for everything.”
“It’s been really hard,” said Nicola.
The pair only had three days off work to get their affairs in order. They returned to their jobs because they needed the money now more than ever. And despite having insurance, the payouts aren’t coming fast enough, and it seems unlikely they will be able to recoup the true value of what they’ve lost.
“It was taken from us instantly, but there’s nothing instant about waiting for insurance,” said Nicola.
“Insurance doesn’t move fast. Fact is, billionaires don’t give up their money,” agreed John.
Even so, John’s son Calvin Bruce want to make sure that the couple’s retirement plans aren’t for not. John’s son Calvin Bruce has set up a GoFundMe to replace what they won’t get back from insurance. So far he’s raised $1,965 of their $20,000 goal.
John and Nicola thanked Thelda Avila and the community for their efforts and for sharing what they’ve been able to give calling the effort “amazing.”
Donate to John and Nicola Bruce at: https://gofund.me/6a3e7445
The Community Rallies
“Fire can affect any one of us, and we need to be there for each other when things like this happen,” said Thelda Avila. “Communities support one another, and we rally around those who need us, especially in times of crisis. This is a really good town, and I want to shine a light on it.”
Thanks to the efforts of Thelda Avila, local businesses and the community, a fire recovery fundraiser is being planned for July 29th and 30th, 2023.
Thelda also shared that Home Depot had agreed to donate materials for a new staircase for Kelly, and that Downey Furniture had agreed to donate used (but still in good condition) mattresses to the families.
Thelda encouraged the community to donate to the families GoFundMe’s and to keep an eye out for more details to come about the upcoming fundraiser.
“Spread the word, tell a friend, tell five, we want to see people from all over come, raise some money, and celebrate community!” said Thelda.
Donate to Kelly Kimball’s GoFundMe at: https://gofund.me/6b11a69a
Donate to John and Nicola Bruce at: https://gofund.me/6a3e7445
