US News
Emergency day camps assist children displaced by eastern Washington wildfires
Spokane area school districts and relief organizations provide free childcare and trauma-informed support after fires displace thousands of residents.
The short version
- Wildfires in eastern Washington prompted roughly 60,000 evacuations and destroyed an estimated 920 structures in August.
- Local school districts partnered with community groups and the nonprofit Project:Camp to offer free, structured day camps for hundreds of affected children.
- The emergency camps operated for three weeks before closing to allow school facilities to prepare for the upcoming academic year.
Key facts
- Wildfires that began in early August in eastern Washington forced an estimated 60,000 residents to evacuate and destroyed approximately 920 structures.[The Guardian]
- Spokane Public Schools reported that 169 students and 38 staff members lost homes, alongside 20 students in the nearby Nine Mile Falls school district.[The Guardian]
- Spokane Public Schools set up a resource center at a local high school to distribute food and supplies and assist families with insurance filings.[The Guardian]
- The nonprofit Project:Camp operated free pop-up camps across two locations for three weeks to provide routine, activities, and childcare for affected families before school buildings reopened for classes.[The Guardian]
- Project:Camp has deployed 33 emergency day camps across 10 states since 2021 following various natural disasters.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The full timeline and specific plans for addressing the long-term psychological recovery needs of students across the region remain unspecified as the school year begins.[The Guardian]
Sources
- When wildfires strike, these camps give kids a safe place to recoverThe Guardian - US