FEMA and SBA

FEMA hours at CCOB FEMA & SBA are here, The Federal Emergency Management Association and Small Business Association have set up shop at the Country Church of the Open Bible in Elk WA this week. These are along with two other organizations including the mobile DSHS crew and an Insurance Commissioner representative from Olympia. I went in on Friday to register with whatever programs were available for our family. There are four places you can do the paperwork for disaster assistance right here in Elk. The only way you can guarantee that you will get NO assistance is to NOT APPLY. So, be sure to come on down and apply.

The hours add up to 50 hours a week shown above. Be sure to take advantage of this convenience. It will take less time than you would think and the people are very friendly and helpful.

Monday, Tuesday, & Friday: 8:30am-6:30pm (30 hrs)

Wednesday & Thursday: 8:30am-3:30pm (14 hrs)

Saturday: 9am-3pm (6 hrs)

FEMA

FEMA decides who can get grants that don’t have to be paid back. The application amounted to about 30 minutes of me listening to the lady filling out the form on her laptop across the table from me. I answered her questions the best that I could recollect. Things like how much damage, street address… Value of property lost and some description. Dependants, health, or medical supplies. How much insurance? Current living situation. Mailing address and sign a permission slip for them to get a copy of my taxes from the IRS to check our income. We set up email notices and I had a FEMA number to sign in. I asked to get paper copies mailed to me for our records.

SBA

SBA Fact Sheet 01 small SBA Fact Sheet 02 small SBA-The U.S. Small Business Administration was the second office I went to apply for assistance. If we qualify, we can get a loan with no interest in the first year and low interest after that. We are hoping to qualify to get enough funds to cover what our insurance company is not going to cover as we rebuild. You don’t have to be rebuilding, you can be relocating instead. They share information with FEMA and ask a few more questions. I thought they would only help with loans for my business and I was wrong. They also do loans for much more.

I have attached the fact sheets that they hand out so that you can read everything you need to know before you go in. (I got permission from them to share the form). You can download them here, “SBA FACT SHEET 01” & “SBA FACT SHEET 02”, to print your own.

DSHS Mobile Office

The same people that come to New Hope in Colbert, and the North County Food Pantry in Elk.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER

The Insurance Commissioner

She is willing to help you with the legalities of our insurance companies.

I left the church with hope in my heart again.

We Survived the Oregon Road Fire

WE SURVIVED
the Oregon Road Wildfire

This wildfire in rural northern Elk WA began on August 18, 2023 in the early afternoon. It was a hot and extremely fast-moving fire pushed around with wind gusts exceeding 45 MPH. We know because we were there.

Air support was working the Elk “Oregon Road” fire initially. However, Governor Jay Inslee removed it and sent it to Medical Lake. It was all moved to Medical Lake ONLY, not split up between the two fires.

Our firefighters were only “ground crews” in Elk. They were told to “stand down and let it burn, only handle evacuations”. So, we did not stand a chance.

I hope we all remember this when we vote in the next election. As far as I am concerned, if they are in office now, they should be replaced especially if they are Democrats. After the fire we had to log the destroyed trees to prevent insect infestation.

Nelson Creek

The Nelson Creek Fire was stopped 650 feet from our home/property 3 years ago. Courageous firefighters were astonishing with ground forces and a full company of air support. All of our homes were saved in our neighborhood. We lost only outbuildings. Their heroic air show was a dance I will never forget. Helicopters, jets, prop planes, and ground crews swooping in and out, accomplishing miracles, YAY!

After this close call, Pete and I checked our home insurance and increased it to cover the cost of rebuilding. We also went around our home and property photographing and describing all of the buildings and things in them. This made our bills higher but we thought it was worth it. Now, we are in the process of negotiating to receive that insurance coverage. At some point, we should win the ARM WRESTLING MATCH with the insurance carrier, then we can proceed. So, our belts tighten up and we do what we can do until then.

Elk is a community I love. It is full of strong and opinionated “freedom-loving” people. We work things out for ourselves, thank you. And we know our neighbors.

Many of us have lost absolutely everything and are still displaced 6 months after the wildfire. But, we will not be giving up. Dealing with the loss of all of our STUFF is hard, but even if you see a tear leak out of my eye, I will not give up. I have a lot less clutter in my life.

The sun keeps coming up each morning and setting each night no matter how I feel. We are still required to go to work or attend school, and take care of the kids and animals. Life goes on.

We shiver as we continue to experience the chilly and below-zero temperatures this winter. We miss the beauty of our trees, but will replant. God is good and he has a reason for everything.

Common Sense Debris Cleanup

Common Sense Debris Cleanup Includes Recycling

American Recycling Corp – Spokane

iScrap App, https://iscdrapapp.com which shows current prices being paid for recycled products

American Recycling Corp. Scrap Prices – Spokane
6203 E Mission Ave, Spokane Valley WA 99212 Phone: 509.535.42710

This firm is accepting scrap metal, steel, and aluminum and copper. However there are restrictions on recycling both burnt copper and automobiles. Only one load of copper will be allowed per household, and most of us will be saving this copper in a special pile on the side, to take in last. Why, only one load? Because, there have been too many thieves making a living off of melting stolen copper wiring. You will need to get a letter certifying that you are a bonafied resident of the disaster area who has lost your home or outbuildings. In other words, you are not a crook.

The person who can supply this is, Fire Marshall, Jared Harms, Spokane County Fire District #4, Deputy Chief / Fire Marshal – CFEI, (509)220-7446. Harms replied to our request with this:

Thank you for reaching out. We can certainly get those letters out to citizens that have been impacted within the fire zone. We just need the names of the residents, their address, and preferred email to send the letter to. You can share my email with citizens needing this letter and I will get it to them.

American Recycling will take cars for scrap, if, you have the paperwork showing ownership. If you do not have “ownership paperwork” they will not accept the car.

There is an alternative way to provide the necessary paperwork, and it is called a “HULK” slip, which is available at the S.C.O.P.E. Deer Park Office 316 E Crawford St, Deer Park WA 99006
509 .276.7848 Hours:? left msg.

Sorting the metals as you cleanup is really smart, take a look at the different amounts paid for the different types of metal per pound and you will see for yourself

or the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office 1100 W Mallon Ave, Spokane Ave Spokane WA 99260, 509.477-2240.

FYI—To find out more about wildfire disaster assistance, text RECOVERY to 99411

Pacific Steel & Recycling

2901 E Trent Ave, Spokane WA 99202 Phone: 509.55.1673, or 800.243.2618
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-4, Sat 8-12, Closed Sept 4, 2023

Pull & Save Auto Parts
We want your vehicles, dead or alive!

Spokane Valley Location 509.921.8000, and in Mead 509.928.4000

DISCLAIMER: Spokane County Waste Disposal advises that that the victims of the wildfire begin cleanup by getting ahold of their Waste System “transportation conractor” (contact information below); This is information noted from attending the Meeting at Riverside High School on Tues 08/29/23-6pm.

Sunshine Disposal & Recycling

509.934.5678, mailbox is full, cannot accept messages at this time.
PO Box 13369, Spokane Valley WA

This firm is in charge of the transportating portion of Spokane County Waste Disposal System. Contact them first for instructions on what you have to do to utilize their waste disposal system and make sure you take your wallet with you.

Costs and availability of the County requirements are unknown. Asbestos Test Kit and their Results wait times are also unknown at this time.

flyer for cleanup

Taxes and Building Codes,Then What?

Pete standing above main elec panels after the fire — Pete by main elec

Taxes and Building Codes, Then What? You already know about 3 steps we have taken post wildfire from our previous post.

STOP Everything!!!

Before you jump into cleaning up and building take a look at this. Destroyed Property Tax form! If you fail to submit a form before you start, the property tax assessor’s office will not give you a break on taxes at all. But is all the paperwork worth it? It is not a huge break, but maybe every little bit counts for those of us who have lost everything.

Destroyed Property Form (Fillable PDF Application)

Destroyed Property Form (B&W Printable Application)

State Laws (For Your Information)

The second form to submit, is needed if you have already paid property taxes this year so you can request a refund on those taxes. Honestly, the value of your home has decreased quite a bit! Are you looking at a pile of ashes where your home used to be?

There will be no reductions on your taxes prior to the fire for this year. The Spokane County Tax Office will keep the full value of your property taxes paid for the first part of the year, through to August 18th (date of the fire). After you send in the form to the assessor’s office, they will have to come out and verify how much of a “loss of value” you have experienced. What percentage. They will then reduce the taxes on the remainder of this years taxes by that percentage.

Rebuilding?

If you are rebuilding, when you are done, the taxes will immediately return to 100% full blast again. Furthermore, the tax collector will not suffer any losses, because, during the next tax levy period they “can and will” raise the rates to cover their losses from this, “tax break”. Our taxes will increase again.

Remember that when you are at the bottom
there is only one way to go, UP!