Blue River

A hot dry summer in 2020 and unusually strong east winds that September helped spark multiple fires across the state of Oregon. Blue River, Oregon, a former mining and timber town, burned to the ground in the Holiday Farm Fire. I visited the community in May of 2022 to learn about how the residents had survived the fire and struggled with loss. The survivors are now seeking to rebuild both their personal lives and the spirit of their unique community. I talked  to three community leaders about their experiences as the night of September 7, 2020 unfolded.

The stories that you will hear are those of Melanie Stanley, Cliff Richardson, and Lane Tompkins. Melanie Stanley is the owner of the longest running business in Blue River–the General and Liquor store. She is affectionately called the unofficial mayor of Blue River. She helped warn and evacuate the residents, as the fire was closing in on her community. As the hillside around her was burning she and her family were evacuating west to the town of Springfield. 

Cliff Richardson, a retired logger and McKenzie school teacher, talks about being trapped in the fire and seeking safety in the middle of a running track stranded with fire fighters and 20 other survivors. The third voice in the story is of  Lane Tompkins, the Superintendent/Principal of McKenzie School who was nervously awaiting the news from his community from his residence near Eugene, OR, outside of the fire perimeter.