Malden continues to recover from devastating wildfire, residents set eyes on new post office

May 27, 2021 7:01 PM

Maher Kawash,

Posted: May 27, 2021 7:01 PM

Updated: May 27, 2021 7:03 PM

by Maher Kawash

MALDEN, Wash. — Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Malden can’t be rebuilt overnight. In fact, Malden has been recovering for 262 days and counting now.

In some ways, a lot has changed in the town as a few people have had a new home built.

But in many ways, the damage left on Malden is still quite clear with debris still filling some streets.

“This is a marathon,” Malden Mayor Dan Harwood said. “It’s not a sprint.”

Most of the 121 homes that burned down last September are still not rebuilt.

Many of those families are now living in RV homes until that happens. But as they wait, something else is soon coming back to Malden—a brand new post office.

Something simple to most of us, but that’s what disaster does. It puts life into perspective.

“That’s amazing,” Harwood said. “People have to drive six miles to either get their mail or mail a letter.”

Harwood said that post office should be done by the fall, and in the meantime, a blue postal service box will arrive in a couple weeks.

The town is also preparing for fire season with crews planning to chop down trees over the next few weeks.

“We are working with everybody to eliminate a disaster like that from happening here,” Harwood said.

Despite the damage still lingering in Malden, water service requests show at least 80 percent of residents are planning to rebuild and call this town home again.

A rebuild that has no timeline.

“It will not happen overnight,” Harwood said. “This fire was quick, it was devastating, but we’re gonna make it.”