OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash. — While Mandy McDonald is still processing the loss of her family's home due to the Cold Springs fire, she admitted that she and her neighbors don't have time to sulk.
"We can't shut down. Everything has to continue," said the wife and mother. "The house is gone. So now, how do we go ahead and move forward?"
McDonald's home and the homes of two of her neighbors in Malott were lost earlier this week as flames from the fast moving fire approached McDonald's subdivision on tribal land East of Highway 97.
McDonald and her children evacuated their home on Monday night while her husband stayed behind to watch for potential looters before eventually fleeing himself.
Roughly eight hours later, their family home of several years had been reduced to rubble.
"Unfortunately, I went at the very exact moment to come around the corner to see my house falling to the ground completely in flames," said McDonald, recalling her view as she returned to her property to check on her home.
As of Thursday morning, the Cold Springs fire had burned an estimated 172,000 acres and was 10 percent contained. Fire officials haven't formally said how many homes have been destroyed, but have noted that "multiple" structures have been lost. The fire, which started Sunday evening near Omak, was still prompting level two and three evacuation orders for parts of Okanogan County.
"There was nothing left," said McDonald, who is currently staying at an Omak hotel with her family. "You couldn't replace that photo album that I didn't put onto digital pictures because I had it for 20 years. I didn't plan on losing it. My firstborn's pictures are all gone."
McDonald estimated that the Cold Springs fire hit her neighborhood roughly eight hours after her family was told to evacuate. While McDonald indicated that she's not trying to remain hung up on what happened, the longtime Malott resident wondered if her subdivision would have benefited from better communication from authorities.
"We didn't know what was on fire and where the fire was," said McDonald.
McDonald said she's now focused on checking in with her neighbors, some of whom are still without electricity or internet, and letting them know of donation centers and what help is available. "We've been through these things before," she added.
McDonald said her family has located another house to move in to, but wouldn't be able to take control of the home for another three to four weeks.