As wildfires ravage Spokane, Chabad rabbi steps up to help

Rabbi Yisroel Hahn has spent the past two decades serving Spokane, Wash., as a Chabad emissary. Now, as wildfires devastate the region, he is helping anyone in need.

“It doesn’t matter if they’re Jewish or not,” he told JNS. “I just want to help you. I just want to be there for you.”

The three blazes that make up the Spokane Complex Fire, which ignited on Aug. 1, have destroyed about 850 structures, including hundreds of homes, and forced roughly 67,000 people to evacuate. No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported. Firefighters have made progress in recent days as cooler weather aided suppression efforts, though evacuation orders remain in place and officials warn that hotter, drier conditions could reignite fire activity.

“All things considered, thank God, there’s no loss of life in this incident,” Hahn told JNS. “There’s a tremendous loss of property. It’s just unimaginable.”

Chabad of Spokane County was not damaged, although Hahn said several members of the local community were forced to evacuate.

An online emergency wildfire relief campaign launched by Chabad had raised about $11,000 by Wednesday evening. The Samis Foundation, a Seattle-based Jewish philanthropy, also provided a $5,000 emergency grant, according to Hahn.

“100% of funds designated for wildfire relief will go toward helping those affected by the fires and supporting relief efforts,” the campaign states. “In moments like these, there are no strangers. We are one Spokane community.”

Hahn initially focused on supplying firefighters with requested items, including disinfecting wipes and electrolyte powder. As emergency needs shift, he said he plans to direct assistance toward families requiring cash, basic necessities and children’s toys.

Hahn and his wife, Chaya Sarah, have nine children.

“I have kids, and if they don’t have toys, they’re going to do a lot of mischief,” he said. “You’ve got to keep them busy.”

Smoke from the fires continued to blanket the area, with Spokane’s air quality reaching “unhealthy” levels on Wednesday, according to reports.

“On Sunday I was wandering around, visiting the neighborhoods, visiting the firefighters, and I had issues breathing,” Hahn told JNS.

Authorities arrested Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, of Spokane, in connection with the Old Trails Fire, the largest of the three blazes. He has been charged with first-degree arson and is being held on $1 million bail. The causes of the other two fires remain under investigation, although officials believe they were also human-caused, though not necessarily deliberately.

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