MALDEN, Wash. — It's been two years since the Babb Road Fire destroyed the towns of Malden and Pine City, changing countless lives forever. Since then, the community has worked together to rebuild the town.
It was during Labor Day on 2020 when a wildfire destroyed the towns of Malden and Pine City in just a few hours. Wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour sent the fire across 15,000 acres. The fire burned down 20 homes and 100 buildings, including the fire station and post office.
Since then, the community has built a temporary fire station in the town of Malden with the help of funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The new temporary fire station houses a fire truck donated by DNR and a truck donated by the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD). Both trucks now don the Malden Fire Department logo.
"Our fire station is better prepared. Our firemen are are better trained. We have the equipment that we can knock down the fire now," Malden mayor Dan Harwood, said.
The new fire station makes sure the city is prepared and safe if another fire were to break out.
"Having the temporary fire station here absolutely. does give us a little breathing room to feel like, God forbid, that a fire were to come again that we're a lot more prepared," Chandelle Frick, Malden resident said.
The Babb Road fire destroyed 67 homes in Malden. Two years after the fire that leveled the towns of Malden and Pine City, 26 houses have now been rebuilt.
The Mayor hopes the permanent fire station and community center will be completed by this time in 2023.
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