OTIS, Ore. — The sounds of chainsaws running in the town of Otis this week is a welcome sound for the wildfire-stricken community. It's the sound of a disaster recovery response by a veteran-led humanitarian organization called Team Rubicon.
The Echo Mountain Fire burned through this part of Lincoln County in nearly two years ago in September 2020, and there is still plenty of work to do for the community to bounce back.
“We're just helping homeowners clean up their properties and hoping we can help people get back to some normalcy in their life. We know it's been a long road to recovery,” said Matt Aker, incident commander for the operation.
Several years ago, the disabled veteran from Seattle was looking to find more purpose in his life.
“A Team Rubicon business card came across my desk and I thought, man that's a great way to get involved and give back to the communities that need us after a disaster,” said Akers.
The team of volunteers is spending a week in the Otis area to remove downed trees and hazard trees from more than 20 properties.
Team Rubicon started in 2010, following an earthquake that devastated Haiti. The group has grown to more than 150,000 volunteers across the United States. They help with cleanup efforts, from floods to forest fires, around the world and close to home.
The team in Lincoln County is made up of a wide array of people, including Katya Shaipunova.
Shaipunova trained to be a sawyer after looking for a volunteer opportunity much different than their regular office job.
“And then I found Team Rubicon and it was exactly what i was looking for. It was something I could do that was physical, tangible and useful, and I could be outside doing it,” said Shaipunova, who's from the San Francisco Bay area.
From running chainsaws to cleaning up debris, this group is proving there is plenty of rewarding volunteer work to go around.
“We are veteran led but we're not just veterans,” said Akers. “Anyone who has a desire to serve can come out. So we veterans of course, first responders and what we call 'kick ass civilians.'”
Click here to donate or volunteer with Team Rubicon. You can also check out a map of the organization's current effort around the U.S. and abroad.