On August 25th, I was working on the computer when my son came to tell me that a lady was down to two cases on Deal or No Deal for the $1 million prize, so I went up to watch.  Then instead they cut to a live breaking story of a fast moving fire in South East Boise. 

I quickly recognized the power sub station and all the high tension power lines, but with all the black smoke I couldn't tell if they were looking north or south with the camera.  The news casters kept saying Surprise Valley and Columbia Village so I worried about my cousins living in a home I sold them earlier this year in Surprise Valley. 

Then, as I continued watching, I realized that it was probably Oregon Trail Heights instead.  I immediately thought of a friend of mine that lives on Sweetwater on the rim and realized I was probably watching the devestation of his home on live tv!  My heart sank!  Thousands of ideas started spinning in my head about what I could do . . . was he home. . . was he out golfing and not aware . . . is his wife safe . . . etc. 

I called him on his cell phone only to get confirmation his house was up in flames at the moment, but him and his wife had escaped a 40' wall of fire that came out of seamingly nowhere.

I called the President of the Ada County Association of Realtors and their Executive Officer on their cell phones and told them I wanted to get right on a fund drive and a method to deposit funds to help them regroup.  I called another friend of mine that used to be active in the Red Cross and she will help me coordinate the efforts.  I sent an email to KTVB letting them know we are mobilizing the troops to start helping these families.  

I set up a new email account BoiseFireFund@gmail.com so that I could immediately start accepting pledges to help.  I will be in contact with Wells Fargo in the morning since I have two of my business accounts there to see if they will handle the banking side.

My friend is a home inspector that is now probably homeless himself.  Another business associate (another inspector) lives on the same block but at this time I don't know if his house was burned or just smoke damage.

If you can step up to the plate with any donations at all for these two families who are part of the building  and real estate industry here please send me an email to the BoiseFireFund@gmail.com with your pledge or feel free to call me on my cellular at 573-0471.