Help the Larsens recover from Smoke Rider fire

Hi, I'm Hannah Larsen and I'm writing on behalf of my family who was one of several to lose homes in the Smoke Rider wildfire that burned 1200+ acres on 8/2/22.

Our little ranch house was built in 1943 and came into our family when my grandparents purchased the land in the early 1980's. Before that, it was owned by another family within the community, many parts lovingly built by the original owner's hand. Five Larsen children were raised in the home, the youngest born within its walls. It was a gathering place for our extended family as well, including my dad’s sisters in Louisiana who are also part owners. Our home, which my father Buddy Larsen lived in for 40 years, was full of family heirlooms, antiques, artwork, keepsakes and memories, precious irreplaceable things that we will miss for a lifetime.

Buddy suffered a stroke followed by a cascade of ensuing health crises in September of 2021. Since that time, he has undergone multiple hospital stays, operations, and rehabilitation centers until finally landing in an assisted living home to complete his recovery. Buddy had recently been given the "okay" to return home and start driving again, and was eager to come home within the month.

In addition to the family home, the Smoke Rider wildfire claimed several vehicles: a cherished and recently restored 1976 Toyota Land Cruiser named Elsie (purchased the year my brother Nick was born), a next-to-new Tundra, a dune buggy, and a tractor. We also lost several sheds, a carport, storage trailer, the building that housed our well-pump equipment, a family friend's horse trailer, and a lot of the fencing used for our livestock lease.

These losses on top of this last year of Buddy’s medical bills is a lot to bear, and much of what was lost was uninsured. Any funds raised by the community will go towards clean-up, replacement of tools and essentials, damage / foundation assessment and, we hope, rebuilding something that our family can continue to enjoy as the thing it was always meant to be: a place to come together.

We thank you with all of our hearts.