ST. GEORGE, Utah — A grassroots fundraising effort is supporting Pine Valley's all-volunteer fire department after 13 homes were destroyed in the Forsyth Fire, including the homes of two firefighters who continued battling the blaze after losing their own properties.
Hannah Beck, a cybersecurity and legal specialist from St. George, launched a T-shirt fundraising campaign to help the volunteer firefighters who receive no compensation for their service.
"It's very humbling. It's a very humbling experience to ask for help," Beck said.
Beck, who previously lost her home to a tornado in Georgia, understands the devastation firsthand. "A tornado has taken down my home before. And so I know what that's like to completely lose everything and having to start from scratch," she said.
The fundraising effort began when former St. George City Councilman Vardell Curtis saw Beck's social media post and reached out to help. "I reached out to her directly and I go, what a great idea. What can I do to help?" Curtis said.
Curtis emphasized the importance of supporting volunteer firefighters. "We don't miss them until we need them, till it's our house that's on fire," he said.
Fire department faces equipment challenges.
Pine Valley Fire Chief Robert Hardy said longtime residents told him no home had ever been lost to fire in Pine Valley before the Forsyth Fire destroyed 13 homes in the first two days of June.
Two of his firefighters lost their homes but continued fighting the fire to save others' properties. "They actually had breakfast at home and took off to do some other things. And by afternoon, their homes were gone," Hardy said. "And they came right back and jumped right into the fight and were helping our department save other people's homes."
Hardy explained the department's financial challenges with maintaining equipment. "We have good apparatus. Most of it we buy used. And then we just try to do our best to keep them maintained. And that maintenance is very expensive," he said.
The chief said he didn't organize the fundraiser himself but verified Beck's legitimacy when she approached the department.
"We didn't organize the fundraiser. That's not something that I'm good at or really I'm comfortable with doing. But Hannah reached out to us and said, hey, I've got an idea. And I checked and said, hey, is this legit? And I got vouched that yes, this is legit," Hardy said.
The fundraising campaign, supported by local T-shirt maker St. Gezzy, offers both merchandise and direct Venmo donations to the fire station. Beck said 73 shirt sales will pay for one firefighter's complete equipment set, while two shirts will cover a set of gloves. One shirt can purchase a quick dam barrier, which provides protection against potential flooding if monsoons hit the burned landscape.
Government assistance remains uncertain
State Senator Dan Ipson, whose grandfather came from Pine Valley and who owns a home there, visited the fire station with an aide to Rep. Celeste Maloy. Ipson acknowledged the challenges facing the community but said government help would be slow.
Ipson said his own fire insurance costs have risen dramatically. "My fire insurance has gone up on my home here in Pine Valley and I contacted my insurance agent. Her answer to me is you better pay it because nobody else will write it," he said.
He described the devastation as severe. "The devastation that these people have been through is, unless you go walk through it, and it's horrid," Ipson said.
Beck said she's not counting on federal assistance. "It is best not to rely on federal government funds. That's like me trying to rely on Social Security. That's probably not going to happen," she said.
St. George Councilmember Natalie Larsen, whose friends lost their home in the fire, said the community's recovery will be a long-term effort. "This is not a story that is over and I think that's what this is about is we're going to be mitigating for this fire for years to come," Larsen said. "But we need to take care of the fire station. We need to take care of the fire crew up here."
