Here It Comes—The Modrite Wildfire Heads Our Way
In June, a lightning-sparked wildfire changed life on our Eastern Washington ranch.
What began fifteen miles away slowly crept closer until the Modrite Wildland Fire was across the road and we were under a Level 3 evacuation. With my husband recovering from surgery, our sons and friends fighting to protect our ranch, and flames bearing down on us, we packed what we could and prayed.
Through the Fire: Our Modrite Wildfire Story is a four-part series about fear, evacuation, community, loss, coming home—and finding God’s presence in the middle of it all.
Let’s dive into Part 1
By June 2026, life had already taken its toll on me.
Scary cancer news for a loved one.
The death of an uncle.
Anniversaries of losing one horse and rehoming another.
Trying to keep up with grandkid’s sporting events.
Burnout.
I was exhausted and dealing with depression.
Then the fires came.
In mid-June, a wildfire broke out across the upper Columbia River from us in Eastern Washington. From our ranch, my husband and I watched the mountains become engulfed in flames.
Three planes circled overhead, scooped water from the river, and dropped it onto the fire.
It was called the Bradeen Hill Fire and was in Stevens County.
We watched from across the river and prayed for the people in its path.
We had no idea that soon, we’d be the ones watching a wildfire come toward us.
Then the Modrite Fire struck.
Like the Bradeen Hill Fire, lightning sparked it. But there was one significant difference.
This fire was in Ferry County.
Our side of the river.
We followed its progress on the Watch Duty app as it crept north.
At first, it was fifteen miles from our ranch.
Fifteen miles seemed far enough away.
Until it wasn’t.
The Modrite Fire started near Wilmont Creek and worked its way toward Roger’s Bar, then Kewa.
The wind fueled the ground-eating flames.
Soon our ranch went to Level 1 evacuation status.
Be ready.
Then came Level 2.
Be set to leave.
A few days later, family and friends in Kewa battled the blaze to save their homes. Members of that small, close-knit community started their own back burn and fought to keep the fire at bay.
Many structures burned.
A few homes were lost.
Thankfully, most were saved.
But the fire kept moving.
Toward us.
Then came the notification we’d been dreading.
Level 3.
GO NOW.
I called my son, who was working the fire, desperate for more information.
“The fire’s moving slowly,” he assured me.
At one point, it was.
But that day, the Modrite Fire showed up with a vengeance.
I climbed onto the roof of our house and watched.
The fire that had once been fifteen miles away was no longer somebody else’s emergency.
It was ours.
I stood on that roof watching, waiting, praying.
There wasn’t anything else I could do but to say…
“God, save our place.”
Standing on that roof, watching the fire move closer, there wasn’t much I could control. All I could do was prepare, pray, and trust God with what happened next.
Maybe you’ve faced a season like that too—when fear came knocking and circumstances were completely out of your hands.
During this difficult season, One Prayer Away by Lauren Fortenberry helped point me back to God when I needed His peace, strength, and truth most.
If you’re walking through a hard season of your own, I hope this devotional encourages you to lean into God’s promises and remember that you don’t have to face the flames in your life alone.
Find the devotional on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3UvRGx5
Next in Episode 2: With my husband only two weeks out of surgery and the Modrite Fire closing in, we had to prepare to leave our ranch behind.
I’d love to hear from you:
When life feels out of your control, what helps you turn your fear over to God?
Share your answer in the comments. Your words just might encourage someone else walking through a difficult season.
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