EUGENE – The Holiday Farm Fire tore through the McKenzie River valley five years ago. For some area residents, the trauma remains fresh in their memories.
Kelly Shaw, a licensed professional counselor at PeaceHealth, is based at the McKenzie River Community School in Finn Rock, which sits amid the broad swath of forest that was torched in the blaze.
Shaw has been working with many of the families, particularly children, who were impacted by the Holiday Farm Fire in the catastrophic fire season of 2020.
But Shaw, who also works out of PeaceHealth Sacred Heart’s University District campus, has an even deeper connection to the community: She’s a resident of the area herself. She also graduated from what is now McKenzie River Community School, as did her mother, aunt, sisters, nieces, and nephew.
While Shaw’s home survived the fire, many did not. That includes nine school district staff members whose houses were destroyed.
“There is individual loss and grief and community-wide grief,” said Shaw, who moved back to the McKenzie River valley in 2017. “When you are from a small area, there are connections there. I don’t have to know you to be able to grieve with you.”
As fire season comes back around, Shaw said the presence of smoke or even the anniversary of the blaze can resurface numerous emotions for residents.
“There is a huge increase in anxiety when smoke comes in the air because people can know it’s safe, but their felt experience was very, very different,” she said.
Shaw meets many of the residents whom she counsels on the school’s campus. It has helped her build strong relationships with them, as well as the school staff and administrators who support her efforts.
Conducting her visits upriver helps in other ways, too, Shaw said. For working parents, making the trip into Eugene/Springfield for a session would take a lot of time, and combined with the likelihood of kids missing school, can dissuade some families from making the drive. Instead, she meets them where they are.
“I love that I get to be there, to build relationships,” Shaw said. “I am a strong advocate for putting behavioral health in every school and having someone there all the time. It builds trust and relationships with staff and administration, and it trickles down to the student body.”
To help with anxieties and stress that may surface this fire season, Shaw recommends both parents and kids focus on what they can control. Information on how to access Shaw’s counseling is available at the McKenzie high school and elementary school offices or by calling 458-205-6444.
