GREAT FALLS — In response to the devastating wildfire in the Gibson Flats area just south of Great Falls on Wednesday, two women gathered in the parking lot of the Montana Credit Union on 14th Street South in Great Falls on Wednesday and Thursday evening collecting supplies such as clothes and toiletries for those impacted by the fire.
Eleven homes, eleven garages, seven outbuildings, and several cars were lost to the fire.
Car after car, bag after bag, people brought whatever they could spare for people impacted by the Gibson Flats fire.
Delia Shumski brought bags of clothes: "People needed it. I've been there before.”
Kayla Ruiz helped organize the event; she explained, "We wanted to provide help, clothing to them as winter's coming to us. A lot of them lost completely everything."
"It's awesome. I love Great Falls. Lived here a majority of my life, wouldn't live anywhere else,” Shumski said.
"A lot was going through my mind (when I heard about the fire). Concerns about my other friends and family that are in the area as well could be affected, how far the fire had gone, are animals okay, and just the extremes of what our community is including first responders are doing to get the fire under control. Also, a quick prayer to God to get this wind down,” Ruiz said.
Tiffany Ross, one of the woman who spearheaded the donation drive, explained: "Watching the fire rip through our neighborhood is completely devastating. Families are suffering from complete loss. As someone who has gone through the loss of a home due to a fire it is really weighing on me to try and do something to help."
For more information, you can call Ross at 406-799-4423, or click here to visit the Facebook group that was created to help victims.
