Chase Hubbard, a volunteer firetruck, was busy chasing wildfires when he realized his own ranch was in the line of fire. Hubbard is a third-generation rancher in Davenport. Once he got to his ranch he rushed to save what he could, but there was nothing he could do.
“The hay’s gone. Our winter pasture is gone. We’re still trying to find 14 (cows). It took generations to build this, and it was gone in less than three hours,” Hubbard said.
Cattle ranchers and producers hit by wildfires in eastern Washington are facing catastrophic losses this year, and while fellow ranchers are rallying to help each other with hay and other immediate needs, the aftermath could take years to overcome.
Those living near Davenport are still reeling from the loss, wondering what they’ll do now. Nearly 100 structures are gone, half of them are homes, and although Hubbard’s home was spared, it was his ranch that he lost.
Hubbard’s ranch alone lost 1,400 tons of hay, their entire winter stock worth nearly $200,000, along with 44 miles of fencing at a cost of $10,000 per mile that is nearly half a million dollars just in fencing.
Chase went on to say “People, they say ‘Well, at least it didn’t get your house,’ and I said this once already, but you know, they’re right. But, ultimately it would’ve been better if it’d just take the house and left the ranch alone because now we don’t have a way to make a living.”
Matt Schneider, the president of the Lincoln County Cattleman’s Association, said at least 30 other ranches were damaged in the fire. “This is still pretty fresh. They’re still trying to figure out what they need, whether it’d be hay or whether it’d be protein tubs or whether it’d be a a vet. It’s kind of all hands on deck and trying to figure out where to start,” he said.
The Lincoln County Community is rallying to help each other out, however since most of their hay is already gone, they’re in need of donations from others.
“We spend all summer making the hay, and these guys have calculated out how much they need to get through, and so does everybody else. So, hay is going to be one of the really hard, you can’t replace it,” Schneider said.
He said they have some people bringing in hay from Idaho and Oregon, but they’re still in need of more to feed thousands of cattle.
To find out how to help cattle ranchers affected by the Whitney Fire, click here.
