On December 15, 2021, a fire erupted in western Kansas that caused the evacuations of over three towns. Russell County was one of many areas affected that day. Jessica Dockendorf’s family resides in Russell County, owning a ranch just two miles south of Fairport. Reflecting on the events of December 15, Dockendorf says she was home with her children when she received an urgent call from her husband, who works for the fire department outside of Catherine.
“It was late morning, early afternoon,” Dockendorf said. “My husband was 20 miles west of our house when he called and said ‘You need to get out and get somewhere safe because we are going to lose everything.'"
Dockendorf, her children, and their animals were able to seek refuge from the fire in a nearby alfalfa field. They waited for six hours as the flames roared through Russell County, destroying nearly everything in its path. “We thought that would be the safest spot because the field was not as dry and still green,” Dockendorf said. “It was also close to the Saline River, so we knew if the fire got close enough, we could swim in the water. We had no clue how fast the fire was moving. We could barely see and had to dodge power lines and cattle in the middle of the road.”
Finally, Dockendorf received a call from her husband, who was able to go back to their property and access the damage. “He called me and told me that the camper, shed, and chickens were all gone,” Dockendorf said. “Our house was still standing and we kind of had a roof. If we would have stayed we would’ve had no place to go.”
The family was without power for nine days proceeding the fire. They had to set up generators, rely on their fireplace, and wear coveralls to keep warm. Finally, there was a glimmer of hope when a friend encouraged the family to reach out to Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas for support. The Dockendorf family was able to receive support from the Disaster Relief program, providing them the funds to rebuild their destroyed chicken coup, allowing them to begin restoring what was lost. Dockendorf said she did not know the assistance she received from Catholic Charities was something that was even available or accessible to her.
“I did not even know the help we received from Catholic Charities was out there,” Dockendorf said. “It meant a lot because I’m a little person, not a big rancher. For Catholic Charities to help us, meant a lot. Especially because we had just rebuilt everything. Reflecting back on the past year, Dockendorf is grateful for what she has and is holding onto the things that matter most. “There was definitely something looking out for us that day,” Dockenford said. “The house and everything else is replaceable, the family is not.”