Grimes County volunteers a 'blessing' after fire

NAVASOTA -- It's the little things.

Like finding your wife's wedding ring among the ashes and rubble of what had been your home for the past 18 years.

Carl Dry, 77, said a series of small blessings has kept his spirits high after a fire destroyed his home and 29 others in Grimes County last week.

Volunteers worked at Dry's seven-acre property off Millstone Road on Monday, clearing trees and debris from the wildfire.

"It's a blessing. I hate to keep using that word over and over, but it's a blessing," Dry said about the generosity of the strangers. "The people, the outpouring of help and friendship, it's just been overwhelming."

The blaze started near Stoneham, 13 miles east of Navasota, from an ember of a Father's Day barbecue. By the time it was contained last week, nearly 6,000 acres had burned.

As fire crews kept an eye out for flare-ups on Monday, the community continued to pick up the pieces.

Bert Hoge greeted fire victims Monday at First Baptist Church in Navasota -- the collection center for donations -- directing them to the location of items that matched their needs.

"There is an absolute need for these people," she said after speaking with a woman who had lost her home and was in search of food for her cats and laundry detergent. "They need everything. They've lost it all."

Anyone interested in helping at the church or donating items can call the church at 936-825-6597.

Donations of clothing are no longer being accepted at the church or at The Eagle in Bryan, which has been a donation site for the past week. Pressroom employees have been delivering the sorted items to the church.

Diana Olvera, 11, said she began volunteering at the church as soon as it opened as a collection center.

"Really, it's just when people need help and you have the resources to help them, it's just normal to go do it," she said in between folding and sorting clothes. "It's really cool how, like, everyone just pitches in and helps people who are in need."

Madison Botkin, 13, has been at the church every day for the past week. She said she was willing to do whatever was needed, which has included folding clothes, cleaning and sorting food and donations.

Madison said it seemed natural to volunteer to help.

"It was on my heart. There was a problem. I needed to be a part of helping getting it fixed and help be the solution to what's going on," she said.

Brad Clark, the church's youth pastor, said the outpouring of community support has been remarkable.

"We've had some financial donations that were over-the-top and unbelievable," he said.

Clark said there is a need for volunteers who can handle the heat, perform heaving lifting and use machinery to help with clean-up at the fire sites. Anyone interested in helping can email Clark at youth@fbcnavasota.org.

Yolanda Fultz, who was put in charge of the donation center, said the most amazing part of the process is the way it has unified the area.

"This isn't just Navasota or Grimes County people. We've seen Walker County, who is having their own fire problems, all the way from Normangee, Cat Spring. I had a church from Baytown call the other day and they were talking about all the items they still had left from the hurricane and wanted to know if we need anything."

Back on Millstone Road, volunteers from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention spent their first day in Grimes County helping clear trees from Dry's land.

Derek Dictson, a volunteer and the executive director for Health for All in Bryan, said the convention, which also has a year-old location in Bryan, has robust disaster relief groups and that more people would be coming from out-of-state over the next few days to help. Dictson said the group he was with Monday focuses on general clean-up and tree work.

"It's an opportunity to meet people out here, people that are hurting and they need some help," he said. "It's just a chance to come out and do what we can to help them."

He said the group also works for free in Brazos County for widows and the elderly that may need trees removed.

Ben Fortner, who works for the Brazos Valley Affordable Housing Corporation, said he took a vacation day to volunteer his time and skills in Grimes County.

"This is something I'm more capable of doing than some other things," he said in between helping Dictson bring down a large, half-burnt tree. "It's physical labor. It's not something I do every day, but it's something that's needed."

Dry said he had a house full of guests for Father's Day when his daughter headed home to Pasadena and spotted the fire. He said everyone evacuated the home as soon as she called warning them of the wildfire.

"We left here at 4 p.m. on Sunday, and the fire company said they were here at 4:06 and it was already ablaze when they got here. Six minutes and we made it out," said Dry, who is retired but works as a Grimes County veterans service officer.

His daughter and son-in-law's home, not 75 feet away from his home, was untouched by the fire.

Digging through the ashes of what was once his three bedroom, 1,500-square-foot home, Dry said he and his family have also found his daughter's charm bracelet and his daughter-in-law's class ring in the debris.

"There's not much left but ashes, but we've gotten a few things out of it," he said. "If you get down on things, you'll never get anything accomplished."

WHAT FIRE VICTIMS NEED:

First Baptist Church in Navasota and The Eagle are collecting the following items for fire victims:

* Small kitchen appliances (toasters, microwaves, etc.)

* Dishes, cups, silverware and kitchen utensils

* Cleaning supplies (mops, brooms, sponges, etc.)

* Diapers of all sizes and wipes

* Toiletries (deodorant, shampoo, shaving cream, combs, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, feminine products)

* New towels and wash cloths

* Pillows, blankets and bedding (clean items only please)

* Non-perishable foods (peanuts, canned goods, pre-packaged snacks)

* Plastic laundry baskets

* Suitcases and reusable totes

* Paper goods: Toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, trash bags

* First-aid kits

* Non-prescription medications (Tylenol, Advil, eye drops, etc.)

* Gift cards to Walmart, grocery stores or restaurants

Financial donations are being taken at the following locations:

* Red Cross: Donations can be made at www.houstonredcross.org; specify that the funds go to the "Fire Hurts, Red Cross Helps" campaign.

* First Baptist Church on Church Street in Navasota. Designate it for the fire victims on the envelope or check. http://fbcnavasota.org.

* The Bryan-College Station Eagle, 1729 Briarcrest Drive in Bryan.

* Any Wells Fargo bank. Checks should be made out to the Grimes Wildfire Relief Fund.

* Prosperity Bank (all locations): 680-0357.