Fire Ravaged Home, Community Lifts Up | Spokane News

Spokane News Today | 2 Min | The Daily News Now! · Aug 13, 2026 · 1m

A devastating wildfire tore through Spokane’s South Indian Trail, destroying over 70 homes—including Pat McMurray’s 20-year-old home on West Excell Avenue. Though he was home when evacuation orders came, he never imagined his house would be lost. Now, in their 70s and retired, Pat and his wife are staying with their daughter, slowly rebuilding their daily lives with help from an outpouring of community generosity. They’ve signed a six-month lease in Mead while insurance claims process, facing a painful downsizing as they search for a smaller, new home. Many neighbors, too, are choosing not to…