It’s been two years since the Beachie Creek Fire in 2020, but the scars still run deep for many of the survivors. Some are still living out of hotels while others just moved out.
Stephanie Lynch and her family is one of those families that has recently found a stable start in the form of a new rental.
It’s been a rough road for Lynch, her husband, two kids, three dogs and two other relatives, who have bounced around together from hotel to hotel. She said since the Beachie Creek Fire, her family has stayed in four or five different hotels.
She still clearly remembers the smoke and flames that engulfed the Santiam Canyon two years ago.
“I remember that we saw the flames coming over Potato Hill, is what it’s called,” said Lynch. “The ash is raining down and it’s hot … the smoke was so thick that you could barely see more than 200 feet in front of you.”