Brayden Jessen has spent the last few days maintaining sprinklers on the roof of his parents’ home near Spokane, WA.

The owner of nearby distributorship Zome Design (asi/366115) and his wife and dog have not yet been allowed back to their house, just 10 minutes away, as a massive wildfire has burned structures and vegetation. Jessen’s parents live in a Level 2 zone (where evacuation could be imminent), though most of the neighbors have already left.

The three fires in Spokane, WA, have burned nearly 900 structures, many of them residential, and thousands of acres of vegetation.

Fortunately, Jessen’s daughter has been away at summer camp further north from the city, though she’s coming back this weekend to join the group at her grandparents’ house.

There are now three fires burning in Northwest Spokane, which have destroyed thousands of acres and nearly 900 structures, many of them residential – tens of thousands of people have been displaced.

Officials believe at least one blaze, the Old Trails Fire near Jessen’s house, was an act of arson.

Jessen and his wife were visiting extended family in California when the fire started last week – the flames spread so quickly they’ve not yet been able to return and have had to monitor via home security cameras, neighbors’ Facebook updates and videos on social media.

“Neighbors have been checking one another’s homes and sharing updates,” said Jessen. “Nothing brings a neighborhood together faster than realizing everyone is depending on each other.”

High winds and hot temperatures have made controlling the flames very difficult for first responders. While the winds have calmed and temperatures have dropped slightly over the past 24 hours, they’re expected to pick up again.

So far, the Jessens’ house is still standing but the fire is just a few blocks away from where they’re currently staying, and they remain prepared to leave.

But evacuating can prove difficult. During the initial egress earlier this week on Five Mile, a hilltop of rural grasslands northwest of Spokane and directly in the Old Trails Fire’s path, Jessen said people were sitting in their cars for several hours due to vehicle volume and limited route options. Some considered ditching their cars and walking down on foot with whatever they could carry, since the fire was spreading so quickly. Now, hotels and short-term rentals in the area are completely booked.

Currently, Zome Design has been able to operate normally, and Jessen is the only one on his team who has been displaced so far. Operations are also unchanged at nearby supplier Dreamers Promotion (asi/50802) and ASB in Liberty Lake, WA; Account Executive Brett McHaffie told Counselor his family and home are also unscathed. “Many, many others have not been so lucky,” he said.

In a close-knit community like Spokane, said Jessen, it seems everyone’s either directly impacted or knows someone who is.

“Many people we know have lost everything,” said Jessen. “In one case, several members of the same extended family lived next door to one another, and all of their homes were destroyed. One of our employees had to leave work quickly to help evacuate his sister with special needs from her apartment complex. It’s so widespread. Even when your own home or business is safe, someone you love is likely in the path of it.”

The community response has been overwhelming, said Jessen. Pacific Northwest fire crews have converged on the area to help battle the flames, local eateries are giving out food to first responders, businesses are donating much-needed supplies and schools are organizing activities for kids who can’t return home.

The promo industry, too, has been lending its support, reaching out to Jessen to see how he and his employees are faring.

“It’s a reminder that this industry is much more than products,” said Jessen. “When something happens, people show up for each other.”

In fact, just last year, Lawrence Hanley of Desk Plants (asi/49451) and Rusty Pepper of Taylor OnDemand, part of Counselor Top 40 distributor Taylor Promo Marketing (asi/333647), launched Team On-Demand, a disaster mobilization effort in the wake of the catastrophic floods that ravaged the Texas Hill Country last July. And when Hurricane Melissa left Jamaican residents without food and water, Deborah Lanigan of Proforma Mega Marketing Solutions (asi/491957) helped provide aid to those hardest hit. Counselor Top 40 suppliers SanMar (asi/84863), Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125) and PCNA (asi/66887) all donated goods to Lanigan and her team at either a discounted price or no charge at all.

While Jessen and his family continue to monitor the situation and are prepared to leave if they need to, he’s also putting together plans for a T-shirt fundraiser to help the displaced through the Innovia Foundation’s Wildfire Response Fund, a local organization. Details are forthcoming.

“A house can be lost in a matter of minutes, but home is bigger than a structure,” said Jessen. “Home is your family, your neighbors and the community that surrounds you. The houses will be rebuilt, and Spokane will still be home.”

Stay with Counselor for more details on the promo industry’s Spokane relief efforts.