MALDEN, Wash. — The city of Malden hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new fire station, nearly three years after a wildfire destroyed the cities of Malden and Pine City.Â
On Labor Day of 2020, The Malden fire, also known as the Babb Road Fire destroyed 15,000 acres. It demolished more than 85% of buildings in the area—including the city's fire station and post office.Â
More than 65 homes were lost in the Babb Road Fire. One Malden resident who almost lost her house in the fire said the experience was traumatizing. She remembers seeing the fire station on fire while hosing flames off her deck.Â
"They just pulled up, it was like so devastating to see them wondering like, 'now what?' and here we are three years later, and work is finally now breaking ground for any building. Which is so exciting for me after experiencing our whole town burn down," Chandelle Frick, a Malden resident and Director of the Long-Term Recovery Organization for the Pine Creek Community said.Â
The city is still on the road to recovery. Twenty-eight homes have been replaced so far, but there's more to go. Frick said the past three years have been tough for Malden. Â
"Just from my own experience with trying to rebuild the deck, just very hard. Nobody wants to come out here, because we're so far removed from the large city. Contractors don't need to work in a small community, they can stay in town. So yes, it means a lot to be where we are today," Frick said.Â
The community said Mayor Dan is like the little engine who could: never takes no for an answer and always perseveres. Â
"I've lived here the last 28 years. I know the people. They really are great people. When you have people ask you something and they have a tear in their eye, it just jacks you up and you say, 'okay,'" Malden Mayor Dan Harwood said.
Mayor Dan kicked off the ceremony with an emotional speech. For almost three years, he's been working to make it happen.Â
"It's amazing how much time it takes. We're running a marathon. It isn't a sprint and everybody wants something done yesterday. And nobody more than me," Mayor Dan said.Â
The mayor said the fire station and post office are the first real structures Malden will have since the Babb Road Fire. On Tuesday, the city came together to turn dirt for the future.Â
The city hopes that the post office will be up and running in 90 days.Â
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