WILLCOX, Ariz. (KGUN) — “It's heartbreaking to see that they're displaced," said Dos Cabezas Coffee Co. owner, Ashley Finley. "They have nowhere to go.”
Finley and some of her family spent this past weekend driving to New Mexico to deliver donations to those affected by the multiple fires in the Ruidoso area.
The coffee shop is about 360 miles from Ruidoso, but the people in this community were still willing to help those affected by the wildfires.
“We knew that it was a hardship, so we wanted to make sure that they would be able to have all kinds of supplies to get them through,” Finley said.
She first learned of the fire because she and her husband were trying to get a hold of her mother in-law. In four days they collected enough stuff to fill two trucks and a trailer.
“We had an overwhelming amount of people from Willcox that just wanted to come and help,” Finley said. “I love this town because of their support system...If somebody's sick, somebody needs help, they're there. And even though it wasn't for here, they wanted to help out.”
She says people dropped of water, clothes, medicine and food from all over the county. Finley said they collected items specifically for firefighters, in addition to the victims of the fire.
“We're here to help others out,” she said.
Finley didn’t realize how big of an impact they were having until they got there, Sunday morning.
“It hits you a different way, when you actually open your eyes and you look around,” she said.
They had to drive to different cities to find a place that could accept the donations because some of the organizations no longer were taking items.
Willcox isn’t the only Cochise County community helping: Fry Fire District has two crew members and medical unit at the South Fork Fire. Paramedic John Clark says they have been there since June 19 and don't have a return date yet.
“There's been a couple of minor medical incidents that have happened, but nothing major. Thank goodness,” he said over the phone.
The fire has burned more than 17,000 acres in seven days, and is 37% contained as of Monday afternoon.
“Now, they're trying to ensure that the containment lines are holding," Clark said. "It hasn't really been growing a whole lot. I think that's due to the rain, and then just with the containment lines, holding so far.”
Finley says she is considering doing another donation drive in a few week. She says she knows from personal experience, that the victims have a long road of recovery ahead and will need household items as they return to their homes, or what's left of their homes.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
