KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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The tight-knit community along Sunshine Lake in Ray County demonstrated the power of neighbor helping neighbor after Thursday's devastating fire displaced seven families.
As residents watched their homes burn, the community response was immediate and heartwarming.
A mother and daughter from a nearby area brought homemade cookies to evacuees.
A Walmart driver arrived with essential supplies, including shampoo and toothpaste.
A local diner offered free meals to victims.
The Red Cross provided assistance, and the Ray County Sheriff's Department sent a chaplain to offer support.
"The support is amazing, and I will stand up for this community until the day I die," said Tracey Reno, whose home was destroyed by the fire. "The community is just, you can feel them standing by waiting to see what they can do to help."
Reno, who experienced her second house fire in five years, found comfort in the familiar spirit of her neighborhood. She also was glad no people or the numerous animals in the neighborhood were injured .
"This is just the best community," Reno said.
The community's caring nature extends beyond crisis response.
Richard Brown, who has lived in the area for seven years, described their regular gatherings and mutual support.
"We all get together for the Fourth of July and have barbecues and just care for each other," Brown said. "That's all we were about, helping each other live a better life."
Even in tragedy, small victories emerged through community effort.
A stranger helped save Reno's 19 chickens and one duck during the evacuation from the fire.
Despite losing her home and a car she had purchased just two weeks earlier, Reno maintained perspective about the outpouring of support.
"There's just so much positive when something like this happens,” Reno said. “I can't say it's worth it, but it sure makes it go down easier. I think it's just a lot easier to smile when you have that going on."
The fire moved with devastating speed through the community of about 10 residents, destroying some homes, while leaving others untouched.
Brown described the intensity as flames approached his property.
"As I stepped out my door, the flames were so intense from the left and the right that it was vibrating the ground from my home," Brown said.
Brown noted that brush fires have been a recurring problem in the area for three to four years, typically starting on the opposite side of the lake.
The cause of Thursday’s fire is under investigation by the Richmond Fire Department.
Jeremiah Silkwood, who lived with his mother in one of the homes burned down in the fire, wasn't in town when he received the news.
"I'll tell ya, it's pretty heartbreaking,” Silkwood said. “It's not everyday you watch memories just toasted.”
A couple of his friends joined him to help clean up and salvage items Friday, including Lucas Moore, who lived in this home for a couple of months.
“Had some stuff my mom gave me, it’s gone,” Moore said. “We made some good memories, and now it’s gone.”
Their other friend, Mark, offered a bit of hope.
“Memories aren’t about objects, memories are with you forever,” he said.
Brown expressed concern about the long-term impact on their close-knit community, especially one he says has faced several zoning and permit barriers.
"We're losing our neighbors, we're losing our community,” an emotional Brown said. “Our houses burning down runs them away. Where are they gonna go? They're not gonna be here no more. I'm not gonna have a community.”
For Reno, the community response reinforced why she chose to rebuild her life at Sunshine Lake after her previous house fire.
"You gotta laugh, or what's even the point?" Reno said. "It's just stuff."
Click here for how to connect with resources to get help or support victims of the fire.
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