Otis couple helping others rebuild after losing their own home in wildfire
The Smalls have helped neighbors remove over a million pounds of debris since last year's Echo Mountain Fire. The work isn't done, but new homes are popping up.
Author: Jon Goodwin
Updated: 7:46 PM PDT April 19, 2021
OTIS, Oregon — Standing where her dad’s house once stood in Otis, Teresa Ganong reflects on what the Echo Mountain Fire took from her family. It’s been seven months since the fire destroyed over 280 homes.
“At first when we came up here, it was a lot of despair. Now, there's hope. It's amazing to see how quickly everything has changed, and how the lots are coming from being piles of ash and rubble and metal to getting ready to have a home put on it,” Ganong said.