Phoenix city officials remember those impacted in devastating blaze
By Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news
As the clock struck 11:04 Monday morning, the exact time firefighters were called to the Almeda Fire five years ago, Mary Martin’s face was somber as she was embraced by a local resident outside the 1st Phoenix Presbyterian Church as the bell tolled loudly.
Martin was one of about 20 people who gathered on the lawn of the historic church in Phoenix on Monday morning to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Almeda Fire. The Sept. 8, 2020, blaze burned more than 2,600 households out of their homes in the Rogue Valley, including in Phoenix, Talent and south Medford.
The event was coordinated by Carolyna Marshall with the 1st Phoenix Community Center, which is housed at the church. Those in attendance, including Phoenix City Manager Eric Swanson and President of the Phoenix City Council Susan Chester, observed a moment of silence.
The anniversary event was especially personal for the 68-year-old Martin. Now an Ashland resident, her home in Royal Oaks Mobile Home Park along South Pacific Highway was destroyed along with dozens of others there by the fire in Phoenix five years ago.
Memories of loss
As someone who lost their home in the fire, Martin noted that the anniversary remains fresh for her, even five years later.
The memories aren’t just felt on Sept. 8: “It’s every day,” she said.
“Stuff comes up on my Facebook memories, pictures of my cat,” Martin said. “And then last night, it really hit me … every year it comes up.”
Swanson, who started in his role not long before the fire, echoed Martin’s sentiments as well in an interview with Ashland.news before the bell chimed.
“It’s been five years, but it feels like it’s (been) a lot shorter span of time because we’ve been obviously so busy rebuilding the community,” Swanson said.
“A lot of the citizens have rebuilt their homes,” he added.
“We’re working on commercial (development) and so it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
Swanson and other city officials in attendance were thanked by Marshall for help in the recovery effort, prior to a poetry reading of “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver, followed by baked goods and coffee at the church.
“We all went through this together and I appreciate you showing up here today,” Marshall said.
“You city folks, you really have helped us rebuild and I appreciate you so much.”
Good news this year
The fifth anniversary is also marked by newfound joy for Martin personally as she told Ashland.news about her new manufactured home in Ashland she obtained earlier this year through Jackson County Community Long-term Recovery Group’s Homeowners Assistance and Reconstruction Program. The group was founded in 2021 by a group of leaders of different nonprofits in the area, with the role of coordinating and convene the recovery of the Almeda and Obenchain fires, said Tessa Elbettar, director of operations and engagement at JCRG.
“In March, I was just able to purchase a new home,” Martin said.
“I’m pretty settled now,” Martin said, contentedly.
“This is the first year in a new home and never would I have guessed to be living out there in Ashland, and I love it.”
Martin explained that the process of getting here hasn’t been easy, however.
Wearing a shirt with the words “Phoenix Will Rise,” Martin said she had not only lost her home in Phoenix, but a beloved cat as well in addition to precious family heirlooms.
The process of getting back “home” took her all over the Rogue Valley, according to Martin.
Following the fire, she lived in Talent, Central Point, and Eagle Point, including in a RV at the Jackson County Expo.
She was able to find an apartment in Medford in March 2021, where she ended up living for the last four years while trying to get back into Royal Oaks, believing it to be the only place she could afford.
Persistence pays off
“It was a place I was really grateful to have,” Martin said. “(It’s) been (an) uphill battle all these years to get something somewhere. I’ve done all the different programs … and everything would fall through.
“I just kept going,” she added. “I wanted the prize.”
Five years removed from the fire, she lives in a new manufactured home at Bear Creek Mobile Home Park off Exit 19, now home to two adopted orphaned cats, including one cat who was missing for three months after the fire and was rescued following social media inquiries.
“He was out in the burn zone for three months,” Martin said. “He has little singed whiskers.”
Martin said patience and persistence got her through to where she is today, and she encouraged those still looking for a way back “home” following the fire.
“I just kept going, kept moving,” Martin said.
“Persistence and just some counseling, I’m still there,” she added.
Be patient
She encouraged those still trying to find their way back home after the fire to “hold on” and “be patient,” and for those who have found a home again to express gratitude.
“If you haven’t gotten home yet, keep moving forward, it’ll happen,” she said. “Just don’t give up.”
Local resources:
The 1st Phoenix Presbyterian Church also serves as the 1st Phoenix Community Center and hosts a free monthly community meal and free clothes closet. All are welcome.
The free clothes closet is at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, 121 W. 2nd St., Phoenix.
The free September community meal is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, 121 W. 2nd St., Phoenix.
This is the first in a series of stories about efforts in Phoenix on Monday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Almeda Fire. We would love to know how your life has changed since then for you and/or your family. Reach Ashland.news reporter Holly Dillemuth at [email protected].
