A trailer home at Willow Creek Trailer Park was gutted by a fire Sunday morning, June 8.

By the time the rapidly responding Jefferson County Fire & EMS firefighters arrived, the home was fully engulfed and dark smoke was billowing. Crews worked hard in the heat to keep the blaze from other nearby trailer homes. Some damage was reported from the neighboring homes, though, according to Jefferson County Fire & EMS officials. Some residents took it upon themselves to hose down their homes, including one man who was on the roof of a trailer next to the burning one.

A family of four lost their home and vehicle in the fire.

The trailer was a total loss with damage to others nearby. The family was not home when the fire started but everyone is safe. Red Cross was called for the husband, wife and two girls. OSFM assisted with the fire investigation but still undetermined cause after investigation. Due to the high temps and potential of nearby structures, Mutual Aid was called and we were assisted by Redmond Fire, Crook County Fire & Rescue, Crooked River Ranch and Cloverdale. Madras Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Pacific Power also assisted. One firefighter was treated for heat-related injuries and later released.

The woman who lost her home in the blaze, Susana Ayala, the mother of two girls, is asking the community for help. Ayala’s daughters are only 5 and 9 years old. They are all living in a motel right now trying to figure out how to move forward.

“Because of the age of our mobile home, we were denied homeowners insurance,” Ayala wrote on GoFundMe. “We are now facing the overwhelming reality of starting over completely from scratch without the basic comforts and security that most families take for granted.”

Ayala started a GoFundMe hoping to raise enough to replace those everyday essentials, and get a more permanent housing solution for her family. The fundraiser site is: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-us-rebuildafter-devastating-fire