As a trio of wildfires raged across northern Spokane, eventually damaging over 900 homes and burning 10,000 acres, the two local Christian universities worked together to offer relief for fire victims.
Both universities have also established funds to raise money for students, faculty and staff affected by the fires that erupted.
On Aug. 1, when the news came that students and staff would have to evacuate from Whitworth University’s campus on the north side of town, spokesperson Trisha Coder said Gonzaga University immediately opened its doors. The university, located close to downtown Spokane, set aside dorm beds so evacuated Whitworth students could have somewhere to stay, Coder added.
“They called the housing staff in at 10 p.m. one night to prep one of the buildings,” Coder said. “I’m just incredibly grateful.”
Most of the students who remained on campus over the summer were international students, Coder said. As of Aug. 6, eight Whitworth students were temporarily living at Gonzaga.
The Catholic university also opened campus doors for its own clan who had to evacuate. As of Aug. 7, the university had about 180 employees, students and family members living in emergency housing on campus, according to Vice Provost for Student Affairs Kent Porterfield.
The university was also offering meals, supplies and crisis counseling, Porterfield said.
Many Whitworth employees also offered support for members of the Whitworth community, opening their homes for students and colleagues who had been displaced, university President Scott McQuilken said in a statement.
After the evacuation notices affecting the Whitworth area were lifted on Aug. 11, Coder said the Presbyterian-affiliated university planned to offer on-campus housing to any off-campus students affected by the fire.
A ‘naive’ evacuation
The cause of the fires in Spokane is still under investigation, according to officials. A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting one of the fires, termed the Old Trails fire, which destroyed nearly 400 acres.
Several people connected to Whitworth and Gonzaga lost their homes in the fire, including economics professors and partners Ryan Herzog and Annie Voy.
On a phone call with FāVs, Herzog said the family didn’t take much with them when they evacuated — just some clothes, important documents and a bag of chips to snack on.
“Part of it was just naive,” Herzog said. “We’ve seen fires pop out there all summer for the last couple years. They all got extinguished.”
This fire, however, was different. At 2:46 p.m. on Aug. 1, the family of four got a notice that they had to evacuate from their house on West Pine Cliff Court. At 2:53 p.m., Herzog closed the garage door, ready to drive off. At 3:15 p.m., Herzog said, the house caught on fire.
For several days after the house burnt down, Herzog and his family hopped between different short-term stays. The Gonzaga community stepped in to help, offering dinners for those who were displaced, essential goods and extra leave for anyone who needed it. Students and alumni reached out to Herzog in the wake of the fire, offering emotional support and asking how they could help.
“The lesson that I’ve already taken out of this is, trust your friends to help you,” Herzog said, adding that the support from Gonzaga had been “phenomenal.”
University donation drives were ‘absolutely immense’
Following the devastation brought about by the fires, both Whitworth and Gonzaga started donation drives to help support employees and students affected by the fire, according to university officials.
Gonzaga employee Porterfield said the community support during the fires was “overwhelming” and the university had to pause collection of physical goods due to an overabundance.
At Whitworth, Coder described the support as “absolutely immense.”
“I’ve always been so grateful for Spokane,” Coder said. “They step up in ways I’ve never seen.”
People from both the Spokane area and the wider Whitworth community, wherever in the world they lived, sent in prayers, stories of support and financial assistance, Coder said.
“I can’t say enough about just Whitworth in general,” Coder said. “We’ve been saying prayers at the beginning of every meeting.”
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the national governing body of PCUSA, also reached out to Whitworth to offer support, according to Coder.
University officials at both campuses said the fires would not likely impact the start of the 2026-2027 school year, which is scheduled to start on Aug. 31 for Gonzaga and Sept. 9 for Whitworth.
Whitworth, which at one point was about 3-½ miles from one of the fires, did not suffer any direct fire damage but did have some residual ash that needed to be cleaned up, according to Coder.
“Nothing has burnt up on campus,” Coder said. “We’ve been very lucky that way.”
By Emma Maple, FāVS News Reporter
