While the smoke from the wildfires has cleared over Pierce County, residents of central

and eastern Washington are still suffering. The losses they have faced over this summer will

continue to grow as the fires rage on.

As a county, we may not have realized the grief caused by the fires but it’s important to

bring to light the situation others in the state are facing. Firefighters and volunteers are still

working to stop the fires and providing aid to the victims who have lost everything.

Many of us will never know why firefighters risk their lives knowing they may not make

it home to their family. We may never know how it feels to evacuate our homes, only to have

nothing to return to. We may never understand the damage caused by the wildfires.

It’s important to remember the sacrifices made during theses difficult times, even though

some of us may feel as though it does not directly concern us.

Knowing what others are facing should help serve as a simple reminder of how fortunate

we are that Pierce County was unscathed by mother nature this summer.