Heroes of the Gray Fire: WFSE members hold the line
OLYMPIA, Wash. – When a fast-moving fire threatened hundreds of residents at two state-run hospitals, members of the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE/AFSCME Council 28) stepped up and saved lives.
On Aug. 18, 2023, the Gray Fire broke loose in Medical Lake, Washington, after a faulty power line set ablaze grasslands, pine trees and homes, burning over 10,000 acres in hours. A year later, the memories of the fire and workers’ bravery in rescuing their patients underscores AFSCME members’ dedication and never quit spirit.
The wildfire jeopardized the lives of over 200 residents at Medical Lake’s two supported-care facilities, and the workers serving them. The fire spread fast, spurred by 30 mile-per hour-winds and dry conditions in eastern Washington.
Eastern State Hospital and Lakeland Village, home to over 500 residents with disabilities and psychiatric needs, were in the path of the fire. By the time the facility had called for evacuation, residents and workers had minutes to get out of Lakeland.
“In the beginning, we didn’t know what was happening or which way the fire was moving,” said Colette Buck, a WFSE Local 573 member and communications consultant at Lakeland Village. “The winds were so aggressive and unpredictable. I saw flames move at the speed of a car going down the freeway.”
Members’ decision to evacuate saves lives
“I remember looking out the window of the cottage I was in and seeing a wall of fire behind it,” said Rachele Ragsdill, an attendant counselor manager at Lakeland Village. “That’s when we decided we weren’t waiting for the evacuation call.”
Ragsdill and other workers began moving residents to Lakeland Village’s gym, where they were to be picked up by buses and taken to Eastern State Hospital. Suddenly, winds picked up and the fire began heading closer to the residents and workers.
Workers quickly realized there were not enough buses to evacuate every resident, especially those who rely on mobility devices. The buses that were available had to navigate roads surrounded by burning forests.
That’s when Lakeland Village’s staff kicked their efforts into overdrive, pushing residents uphill through choking smoke to try and get them to safety at Eastern State Hospital.
“It got right up on us and we started running people up the hill,” said Pam Davis, Local 573 president and an adult training specialist at Lakeland Village. “Bus drivers were driving through falling, flaming trees. One of the bus drivers had to kick over a tree that had fallen on the road and was still burning.”
Workers protected residents while their town burned
Workers stayed for hours, helping residents as Medical Lake smoldered around them.
“People were getting calls telling them their house burned down,” said Davis. “But they were staying, working 16, 18, 20 hour days.”
“It broke my heart, but it was humbling that staff refused to leave,” said Josh Bartholomew, a former residential services coordinator at Lakeland Village and current WFSE employee. “One staff member said she would do it all again to protect the residents. The success here is all because of the staff.”
All residents were evacuated safely and there were no fatalities at Lakeland Village or Eastern State Hospital. Residents returned to Lakeland Village that night after firefighters declared the area safe. There was a layer of ash over the outside of buildings, but diligent work by fire personnel kept all residential housing safe.
“Even when they cleared the roads, most of us stuck around to help get the residents back and settled,” said Michele Mitchell, an adult training specialist at Lakeland Village.
A community rebuilds, with the help of their union
With residents safely back in their homes, the work of rebuilding the surrounding community began.
Several workers had lost their homes. In response to the devastation from the Gray Fire and other fires in the area, WFSE’s executive board voted overwhelmingly to contribute $200,000 to the Foundation for Working Families, a disaster relief fund the union founded in 2007 where 100% of donations go to members in need. Contributions also came from AFSCME International’s Fallen Heroes Fund.
WFSE staff worked with the Red Cross to hand out water, food, and other necessities to workers affected by the fires and put up members in hotels if they lost their homes.
To this day, signs declaring “MEDICAL LAKE STRONG” are juxtaposed with charred black trees and empty lots where houses used to sit. The hills and valleys around town also bear the scar of the Gray Fire and others before it.
“I can’t think of any place I’d rather work,” said Ragsdill. “And I hope we never go through another trauma like this, but if we do, this is the group of people I would want to face that with.”