By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The cleanup and recovery from the Cottonwood Complex fire is taking a more direct and long-term stance. That direct recovery comes at the hands of the Mennonite Disaster Relief team who is doing the demolition work on what's left of the properties destroyed by the fire.
“We’ve had some great volunteers helping the VOAD clean off the properties,” Lisa Gleason of United Way said. “The recovery process now is going to start shifting to — if wells and septic systems are back up and running — getting electricity back up to properties.”
Gleason says the fire has left little for the survivors to recover in terms of small items.
“Certainly this is unprecedented, but any kind of fire . . . there’s just not much to sift through,” Gleason said. “With a tornado, there’s still maybe a wall standing and odd things that are still left to take with you.”
Gleason says that she is amazed at the resiliency of the survivors who are already working to rebuild or relocate. A town hall meeting was held Tuesday evening to help maintain connection between the survivors and the entities that are available to help with their needs.
“We want to make sure they know that we fill in gaps,” Gleason said. “Again, connecting to resources, leveraging volunteer help, making sure we are trying to meet their needs.”
Since there is little personal property to recover from the fires, the need for small groups to volunteer is being scaled back at this time while heavy equipment is used to move the larger debris.
“Some of them are just really good at doing this and so we’re very grateful that they have stepped up and are willing to walk alongside us in this recovery,” Gleason said. “We’re kind of at a place where we just need to take a pause and really let our families tell us what they need at this point. So we’re not taking in a lot of new jobs right now.”
As always, monetary donations are needed and can be made by going to unitedwayofrenocounty.org or by mailing the United Way at 924 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.
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