LAPWAI, Idaho — The Gwen Fire burned close to 30,000 acres, destroying 38 homes and 122 outbuildings.
This comes as Idaho Governor Brad Little traveled to Nez Perce County on Thursday to visit what remains of the Gwen and nearby Texas fire.
Little got a birds eye view of the Gwen and Texas fires here in Nez Perce County.
After his tour, he landed here in a Blackhawk.
All eyes have been on the Gwen and Texas fires, including the eyes of local farmers, like Robert Blair.
“Fire is our biggest fear,” Blair said.
That’s why when the Gwen fire reached the property across from his, Robert jumped into action.
Blair put his eyes to work, keeping watch of the fire’s movement.
“I was keeping those that needed to know informed about its progress,” Blair said.
On his watch, Blair saw his fellow farmers do what they could on their property to bring the fire to a halt. The first thought that came to his mind was that they needed air resources right away, and he watched when those professionals came.
Little's message to the community is one of thanks. He’s grateful that no lives were lost in these fires despite the significant damage they left behind.
In addition to thanking the responding fire agencies, he specifically pointed out the work of local farmers that he saw firsthand on his tour on Thursday.
"It is incredibly important to us that we save first life, then property, then all those valuable resources that are out there," Little said. "I was struck flying over the miles and miles and miles and miles of fire line that [had] been put on by the local fire local farmers. Had they not done that, this fire would have been enormously larger.”
Firefighters and local leadership on Thursday recognized recovery from these fires will be ongoing.
That’s why they pointed out that last week, Nez Perce County, Latah County and the Nez Perce Tribe activated a multi-agency Resource Center, also known as a MARK.
It’s a center that brings several agencies and resources together to support those impacted by the wildfire.
According to the Idaho Department of Lands, of the 38 homes destroyed, 25 were houses and 13 were RVs. The Texas Road fire burned over 1,500 acres and claimed four homes.
The eye that watched the fires see now the impact of their work.
“We are fortunate no lives were lost, very thankful to the limited damage, while extensive, the limited damage that was done,” Blair said.