‘Highly unique’ circumstances led to lack of insurance coverage for most Malden residents By Emma Epperly, The Spokesman-Review
Published: May 3, 2021, 6:05am
Share: Charred rubble remains after a wildfire decimated the small town of Malden on Sept. 7, 2020, destroying an estimated 70% of homes in the northern Whitman County community, The Spokesman-Review reports. (Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review via AP)
SPOKANE When Rachel Blakely talks about the day her house burned down in Malden, she has a good sense of humor.
She jokes about how she didn’t think the fire would get to town, how her son burned the tread off his tires going back into town too soon to see if their homes had survived, and how “stupidly” her little shed survived when everything around it burned.
KXLY
February 7, 2021 6:03 PM Kaitlin Knapp
Updated:
MALDEN, Wash. It’s been five months since the Babb Fire tore through Malden and Pine City. The towns have been waiting that same amount of time for an approved FEMA disaster declaration.
On Thursday, it was approved. People in the town view it as a sigh of relief as they reflect on what happened on Labor Day.
“It still wasn’t real until we came in during the day and saw the devastation,” said Rachel Blakely, who lost her home in the fire. “The emotional drain is just because basically you’re homeless and it’s difficult to be homeless.”