Malden fire

Late in the afternoon, the homes and possessions of the residents of the town of Malden, Washington are still smoldering, shown Sept. 7, 2020. The Labor Day fire, driven by northerly winds, destroyed the majority of structures in the town.

Section:Gallery

Thu., Sept. 2, 2021

Shawn Thornton hugs his wife, Shannon Thornton, next to the rubble of their burned home Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 in Malden, Washington the day after a fast-moving wildfire swept through the tiny town west of Rosalia. Shawn and Shannon weren’t home at the time, but their son Cody was and managed to get their dog and a few belongings before leaving just minutes before the flames swept through.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
In downtown Malden, Washington, doznes of buildings still smolder Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 the day after a fast-moving wildfire swept through the tiny town west of Rosalia. The town, hit by a wind-driven wildfire Monday that destroyed many structures, once thrived when it was on the Milwaukee Road rail line until the railroad went out of business in the late 1970s.

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Shawn Thornton, right, and son Chris Thornton look over the rubble of their burned home and garage, including his work truck, left, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 in Malden, Washington the day after a fast-moving wildfire swept through the tiny town west of Rosalia. Shawn and Shannon weren’t home at the time, but their son Cody was and managed to get their dog and a few belongings before leaving just minutes before the flames swept through, destroying their home, garage and multiple vehicles.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Day of the big fire - A brush crew attacks a hot spot along the Pine City-Malden Road, one mile east of Malden, Washington Monday, Sept. 5, 2020, the day of the wildfire that swept through the tiny town of Malden, Washington and destroying a majority of the structures there. The fire was pushed by strong winds from the north, burning some areas and sparing others.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Late in the afternoon, the homes and possessions of the residents of the town of Malden, Washington are still smoldering, shown Sept. 7, 2020. The Labor Day fire, driven by northerly winds, destroyed the majority of structures in the town.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Late in the afternoon, a smoky haze hangs over the town as the homes and possessions of the residents of the town of Malden, Washington are still smoldering, shown Sept. 7, 2020. The Labor Day fire, driven by northerly winds, destroyed the majority of structures in the town.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Late in the afternoon, a utility post in the town of Malden, Washington is still smoldering, shown Sept. 7, 2020. The Labor Day fire, driven by northerly winds, destroyed the majority of structures in the town.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Late in the afternoon, a field of hay bales burn on the outskirts of the town of Malden, Washington, shown Sept. 7, 2020 the day a fire destroyed most of Malden. The Labor Day fire, driven by northerly winds, destroyed the majority of structures in the town.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Many residents of Malden, Washington lost everything, homes, cars, tools and mementos in the Labor Day 2020 fire that swept through the town, driven by northerly winds. Shown Sept. 8, 2020.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Many residents of Malden, Washington were tinkerers, collectors or restorers of old cars, boats and motorcycles and lost everything in the Labor Day 2020 fire that swept through the town, driven by northerly winds. Shown Sept. 8, 2020.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Nate and Bry Reynolds, with their baby Tobias, stand with Nate's parents, Dan Harwood and Tami Van Dyke, at right, near the hay field by their homes where they waited out the Malden fire on Labor Day 2020. On the day of the fire that destroyed their small town on the Palouse, Dan Harwood, the Malden fire chief, was fighting the fire in town while Nate, Bry, who was 20 weeks pregnant with Tobias, and Tami packed up their cars and tried to escape the oncoming wall of flames but their path over the small bridge over Pine Creek was blocked by fire and they spent several tense hours huddled in their cars watching the flames move past. Nate and Bry lost the Van Dyke family home they were living in and Dan and Tami almost lost their home, just a few yards away, but it was saved by the timely arrival of a firetruck. The flag on their pole is the same one that flew during the fire.

Jesse Tinsley
Rosalia Fire Chief Bill Tensfeld, who is also the Whitman County Emergency Management Director , looks around the rural area west of Rosalia where the Malden fire started on Labor Day 2020 while touring the fire zone Thursday, Aug. 3, 2021. Tensfeld was in Colfax monitoring two other fires that day, then drove to Malden through smoke and flames to see the damage.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi
Rosalia Fire Chief Bill Tensfeld, who is also the Whitman County Emergency Management Director, points to one of the places near Malden, Washington where the fire which started on Labor Day 2020 forced him to stop his truck on the way to Malden that fateful day. Tensfeld was touring some of the places he traveled on the day of the fire Thursday, Aug. 3, 2021. Tensfeld was in Colfax monitoring two other fires that day, then drove to Malden through smoke and flames to see the damage.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Revi