DAYTON - One year ago, we introduced you to Steve and Lisa Holett.
The Holett’s were building their dream home in the small community of Dayton and were weeks away from moving in before the Elmo Fire blazed out of control tragically burning down their home.
With no home insurance, Steve and Lisa lost everything in the fire, walking away with their beloved dogs and the clothes on their back.
Thanks to an outpouring of community support, the Holett’s decided to rebuild on their property and are inching closer and closer to moving in.
“We always thought in the back of our mind that if we gave up, took the easy route and started somewhere else that we would of regretted it someday, that’s kind of what we thought, and now that we’re here we’re really glad that we went through because I think we would have regretted not trying,” said Lisa Holett.
One year after losing everything, Steve and Lisa Holett are building back their dreams one piece at a time.
“Every day we sit up here with our dogs and look out and try to re-energize for the next day, and we just keep coming back every day and doing it," added Steve Holett.
With the help of countless volunteers, Steve and Lisa are now just months away from moving into their new log cabin home.
“We couldn’t have done it without the community, absolutely not, because we looked at each other and I’ll be honest, we almost decided to just leave and start over somewhere else, it was so overwhelming, but when you have people help you it makes such a difference and that’s what drove us and what motivated us and that’s what kept us going,” said Lisa.
The Holett’s have kept the signatures of everyone that’s lend a hand in their rebuild, forever honoring the giving spirit of Montanans.
“And we’re going to permanently protect those signatures, we burned them into the logs, so this home will permanently be signed by the people that helped,” said Steve.
As Steve and Lisa work to finish their home, a new wildfire is burning in their region, bringing back haunting memories from a year ago.
“I mean we’re at the point where the fire last year was the same distance away, and all it takes is one change in the wind and we know that, even though we’re not in the immediate line today, it could be tomorrow, and so we’re trying get as much as far as tools and things that we can actually move out.”
Steve and Lisa want to give their assistance to anyone impacted by the Niarada Fire.
They have a truck and four hands to offer - Anyone looking for help can email Lisa at lisa.holett@yahoo.com.
“We’re really putting it out there, we know what it’s like, and we know what it’s like to live with nothing, and so if I can go there and just get a carload of clothes for somebody out of their house, it’s worth it, it truly is worth it,” said Steve.
Lisa is praying nobody feels the same loss from a year ago.
“I just want to thank everybody to get us where we are today and let’s just pray together that nobody loses their homes in this fire again this year and for the firefighters that are working really hard on the fire.”
