The Echo Mountain Complex Fire, which tore through the Lincoln County community of Otis two years ago, charred at least 2,500 acres. By the time the flames were out, the number of houses lost totaled nearly 300.
Now, in a partnership involving groups helping to rebuild the town, at least one family that lost their primary residence in the blaze is about to get a free home – a three-bedroom, one-bathroom modular house, fully equipped with appliances.
Applications for the home giveaway are already being accepted, with a looming deadline of Wednesday, Oct. 12. The winner of the home will be announced Friday, Oct. 14.
The drawing is being facilitated by Cascade Relief Team, which has been working with Hacienda Community Development Corporation to place a modular home on a survivor’s property.
“We were given a tight deadline to jump on this opportunity and we wanted to ensure it was an equitable process for survivors,” Marc Brooks, Cascade Relief Team’s executive director, said in a statement. “I immediately reached out to the (Lincoln County Long-term Recovery Group) for feedback on how to find the right person for this home.”
To qualify, all applicants must have lost their primary residence in the 2020 Echo Mountain Fire zone in Otis. Applicants must also own the property upon which they intend to rebuild their primary residence. In addition, applicants must meet low-income requirements of 80 percent area median income or lower for Lincoln County.
Wildfire survivors who have been working with disaster case managers on their recovery plan can contact their case managers to receive assistance in filling out the application form. If survivors do not have an assigned case manager, they can receive assistance in filling out the application by mail Katia at Katie@cascaderelief.org.
All permit and site preparation costs will be included in the home giveaway. As a tax-exempt donation, the homeowners will not be required to report the house as taxable income. However, the new home may result in increased property taxes, which the homeowner will need to pay on an annual basis.
The September 2020 fire that leveled much of Otis, a rural community of 3,500 people, was a relatively small part of a wildfire season that destroyed more than 4,000 homes, killed nine people and burned through more than 1 million acres statewide.
Applicants for the home giveaway opened Oct. 6. Lincoln County residents can learn more about the qualifications and apply here.
Application entry forms in English are available at: https://bit.ly/3SN21G7.
Application entry forms in Spanish are available at: https://bit.ly/3Ccl1oY.