This is a thank you to the firefighters, first responders, volunteers, neighbors, and families who carried Spokane through the 2026 wildfires. Since the fires broke out on August 1, this community has watched firefighters run toward danger, neighbors open their homes to strangers, and volunteers show up again and again without being asked twice. There are no words that fully capture what Spokane has been through, and there are no words that fully capture what so many people gave in return, but this is our attempt.
Who Are We Thanking Today?
This thank you goes out to every part of the Spokane wildfire response, including:
- Firefighters and wildland fire crews who worked around the clock to protect homes and neighborhoods
- Police officers, dispatchers, and emergency management teams who coordinated evacuations across Spokane County
- Paramedics and emergency medical personnel who kept people safe throughout the crisis
- Red Cross volunteers and shelter staff who kept emergency shelters running
- Spokane Public Schools staff who opened free emergency childcare within hours
- YMCA staff who offered showers and rest to displaced families
- Neighbors, friends, and families who opened their homes and checked on one another
- Local restaurants and businesses that donated food and supplies to survivors and fire crews
- Every volunteer who showed up to help without being asked twice
To Our Firefighters
Spokane's firefighters and wildland fire crews worked through smoke, heat, and exhaustion to protect homes, families, and pets that weren't their own. You made impossible decisions in impossible conditions, and because of you, this disaster was not worse than it was. Spokane will never be able to fully repay what you gave this week, but we hope you feel how deeply grateful this city is.
To Our First Responders and Emergency Personnel
Spokane's police officers, dispatchers, emergency management teams, and paramedics worked around the clock to keep this community safe during the wildfires. Your work often goes unseen in the moment, but it made every other part of this recovery possible.
To Our Shelter Staff and Volunteers
Red Cross volunteers, Spokane Public Schools staff, and YMCA employees turned emergency response into genuine care for displaced Spokane families. Red Cross volunteers kept shelters running around the clock, Spokane Public Schools opened a free childcare program within hours of the fires starting, and YMCA locations offered showers and rest to families who had nowhere else to go. Every volunteer who showed up to hand out food, water, and supplies made a measurable difference.
To Our Neighbors, Friends, and Families
Spokane's neighbors, friends, and families showed up for one another in ways both large and small throughout this crisis. Someone offered a spare room without hesitation. A friend drove a stranger to safety. Families opened their homes to relatives and strangers alike, and people checked in on neighbors they hadn't spoken to in years. Restaurants sent meals to survivors and to the crews fighting the fires. People lined up to donate blood, supplies, and money before anyone even asked. One Spokane resident put it simply this week, saying that this disaster revealed just how much this community genuinely cares for one another. That sentiment has shown up again and again over the past several days, in ways big and small.
To Everyone Still Showing Up
Spokane wildfire recovery doesn't end when the fires are contained, and the people still showing up for their neighbors are what will carry this community through the months ahead. To everyone still checking on displaced neighbors, still dropping off supplies, still asking what more they can do, thank you.
Spokane Strong Isn't Just a Phrase
Spokane Strong describes what happens when a city chooses to take care of its own, without waiting to be asked. It's firefighters who didn't hesitate, neighbors who didn't wait for a formal request, and a community that keeps showing up long after the headlines move on.
From all of us at Rios and Co Real Estate, thank you to everyone who has been part of Spokane's response to this disaster. We are honored to call this community home, and we're here for whatever comes next, whether that's rebuilding a house, finding a new one, or simply being a resource as this community heals together.
