Silver Valley fire destroys three outbuildings: 'Our people are resilient'

KELLOGG - At 10 p.m. Tuesday, Eliza Frank watched as flames danced hundreds of feet from her camper at Big Creek RV Park.

Within minutes, a fireman ran up to her door and told her and the two people she lived with that it was time to leave. So, the 24-year-old gathered a backpack full of stuff, her ID, purse and cellphone, and hopped in the cab of the fireman's pickup.

The Gold Run fire tore through the nearby Shoshone Golf Club and was burning its way toward the RV park. Around 6 p.m., she started to smell smoke, but by 10 p.m. it was clear they had to evacuate.

"Then I went into panic mode because I'm thinking, 'What am I gonna do about my dogs?' "

One of her pitbulls, Molly, she got nearly two years ago when she was homeless, bouncing from shelter to shelter in Montana. Her other dog, Dino, she got eight months ago. Two years ago, Frank's grandparents bought her a camper to live in.

But Tuesday night, Frank worried the semblance of stability she finally had attained was about to be permanently shattered.

"I was thinking," Frank said, "'oh, I'm gonna lose my camper. I'm gonna lose my dogs.' "

The firefighter ended up taking Frank and her two roommates to Real Life Ministries outside of Kellogg to sleep on cots. But it was hardly a peaceful night for Frank. She was so terrified for the wellbeing of her dogs that she spent much of the night vomiting from anxiety.

Early Wednesday morning, Shoshone County Sheriff Shawn Wehr picked up Frank from Real Life Ministries and brought her back to the camper to pick up Molly and Dino.

"They're my babies," Frank said, pointing to her dogs, now safely resting in a kennel at Real Life. "That's my whole life right there. If I lose my dogs, I'm losing everything."

Jane Kreller, communications manager for Idaho Department of Lands, said the Gold Run fire threatened more than 120 structures at its peak. No homes burned, but three nonresidential outbuildings were destroyed.

"Evacuation notices remain in place for the Big Creek and Elizabeth Park area," Kreller said. "And then residents from Big Creek East to Johnson Street on both sides of I-90 should remain in the get-ready status."

There were no fatalities or injuries from the Gold Run fire, which was last recorded at 235 acres and only 10% contained, Kreller said.

The three buildings that burned were not houses, but part of the Shoshone Golf Club, Wehr said. The main clubhouse was saved.

While the fire is only 10% contained, Wehr said firefighters were mostly doing precautionary work Wednesday to prevent spot fires or wild embers from spreading.

"Right now, we're feeling good about where we're at," Wehr said.

He said residents in evacuated areas were being allowed to access their properties to retrieve items and then return to safe shelter. If progress continues to be made, Wehr said evacuations likely will be lifted by Thursday morning.

Kreller said 90 personnel were assigned to the Gold Run fire, with hotshot crews and additional attack crews set to arrive on Wednesday.

The fire started around 3 p.m. Tuesday, Kreller said. The cause is under investigation.

Willette Thomas, 62, is next door neighbors with Frank at the RV park. She and her dog, Cujo, evacuated Tuesday night and found shelter at Real Life Ministries.

She, like Frank, was worried about the fate of Cujo until she was able to return home to grab him. Juxtaposed to the killer canine immortalized in the film from 1983, Cujo joyfully licked her mother at Real Life Ministries whenever she got the chance. Maybe it was his way of saying thank you for not forgetting me.

While many of the people who were forced to evacuate are staying with friends and family, Frank and Thomas are content at Real Life Ministries for the time being. They said Wednesday morning that they planned to spend the afternoon taking their dogs on a couple walks around Kellogg until they're able to return home.

"Throughout all of Shoshone County, our people are resilient," Wehr said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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