Mosier Fire Story

Even before the final embers were out, and crews were still mopping up the hot-spots, news of Vic and Holley Gove’s story began circulating. Their answer to prayer to “spare an acre” from the fire was answered in a really curious way – in part – by their horses that were busy for weeks before the blaze.

Here’s one of the postings written by Greg Hohensee, a small business coach called an Enterprise Facilitator, that has consulted with Vic and Holley about business plans they are working on for their ranch.

“For as many of you are probably aware, a wild fire swept down the banks of the Columbia River this weekend, burning about 1000 acres.  The fire crews did a fantastic job keeping the city of Mosier from being consumed Friday night.  One of the participants in our project was not so lucky, or as you hear their story, you may think them very lucky (or blessed).

Vic & Holly Gove have an 80 acre ranch on the plateau just to the west of Mosier, perched just above the old Hood River Highway.  They run a small herd of cattle, and some horses.  Over this summer, the horses stubbornly kept eating the grass in a line just inside the fence of the pasture that surrounds the house and barn.  As you may know, horses have a tendency to rip the grass up by the roots, leaving bare ground in their wake.   Maybe those horses knew something Vic & Holly didn’t.  When the fire started approaching the ranch, Holly & the kids were forced to evacuate, but Vic stayed behind to protect their home &barn.  Before beginning his battle to save his house, Vic stopped to pray, and asked that maybe just one acre could be spared.  As it turns out, Vic’s prayers were answered.  Those stubborn horses had created a fire line around the house and barn, just about and acre in size.  While the house, barn and livestock were all saved, all of the pasture land burned.

Vic & Holly are now left unable to graze their animals, and as winter approaches that  means serious trouble.  Daniel Comp & I are reaching out to the community to ask for your  help.  If you have extra hay, feed, fencing etc. that could help Vic & Holly rebuild their pastures and feed their animals through the winter, please let me know.  We can muster some man power and vehicles to come get any supplies you might be able to donate, or a crew to mow some hay or set fence. 

If you know anyone who might be able to help, please forward this e-mail, or carry this story to your community group, service organization, or church. 

I thank you in advance for your help, and look forward to hearing from you. “

Greg Hohensee
Enterprise Facilitator
541-728-6528
www.centraloregonmicroenterprise.com
greg@centraloregonmicroenterprise.com

 

Vic’s prayer place on the ranch with obvious burn lines nearby.

The story get’s better.

The first response to the email came from Laura & Bob, Owners of the Seed to Table Farm:

We can donate a ton of barley hay, a bag or two of alfalfa seed. We may have some fencing, some hog wire and barbed wire up in the north end. Let us know when someone can come up, hay may need to be hand loaded, about 20 bales at 95 lbs.or so each 

 

So…

Where can we find some able handed workers, a truck/trailer, etc to make this happen?

Call Victor Gove at 541-993-4703 or 541-478-3477