By CAROLINE EATON
Gray ash fluttered through the open window, settling in a thin blanket across the worn cabin floors. Golden rays of sunlight flickered across the faces of Puget Sound student Benjamin Flory (‘30) and his fellow camp counselor as they woke to the hazy scene. The pair slept soundly in their cabin at Camp Du Nord, Minnesota, unaware that the smoke outside would soon engulf their room. “It got really bad, and the smoke started pouring in,” Flory said. “My roommate and I, one of my good friends, we slept with the window open and with a fan blowing in, so we woke up, and there was ash flying around our room.”
Their rude awakening quickly became a full-blown crisis. Flory and his roommate went from cabin to cabin, evacuating the younger campers. “When you get evacuated, there’s a Ready, Set, Go protocol… We went around to all the houses and said we’re now in a Go; we need everyone to leave.”
Over the next few hours, Camp Du Nord became a flurry of activity. Counselors like Flory enacted protection protocols and began to prepare the camp for the approaching wildfire. They cut down trees surrounding camp buildings and activated a proactive sprinkler system designed to prevent embers from igniting the structures. This fire marked the peak of the wildfires that burned in the Boundary Waters region during the summer of 2026, with over 30,000 acres of land scorched. Thankfully, Camp Du Nord is still standing today.
Ben Flory is one of many University of Puget Sound students affected by wildfires across America. More than one-third of the University of Puget Sound undergraduate population is from California, Colorado, or Oregon — three of the top five U.S. states with a high risk of wildfire exposure. While Tacoma itself is not typically under direct threat of wildfires, it’s clear that many students come from areas familiar with the dangers. Washington experienced its worst wildfire season in over three decades, with nearly 450,000 acres of land burning over the summer.
Dave Ferber, Director of Security Services, described the University’s response to the health and safety concerns that arose after significant air quality decrease. “Security Services, Risk Management, and Environmental Health and Safety are actively monitoring air quality levels to ensure the safety of our community. We will send out Logger Alerts to inform the community if air quality levels necessitate sheltering in place or evacuation. We will also communicate whether masks are recommended for outdoor activities. Over the summer, we dedicated significant time to monitoring air quality during several wildfires in the state throughout July and August. Additionally, Security Services has developed a strong relationship with Pierce County Emergency Management, and we will maintain continuous communication with them in the event of any wildfires in the area,” he said.
California business owner and wildfire awareness advocate Nicholai Allen provided expert commentary about wildfire preparedness. Having worked as a contract firefighter in multiple devastating fires, including the Palisades Fire in California, Allen is just wrapping up his third season fighting wildland fires. “Those seasons seem to be getting longer and worse,” he said. From his experience, the danger is not exclusively contained to areas traditionally associated with wildfire.
Allen highlighted Spokane, WA., as an example of how fires can affect communities that may not seem particularly vulnerable. In August, multiple wildfires were intentionally set by a member of the Spokane community, an urban area, damaging over 400 structures and burning over 3,000 acres of land. “In Spokane we saw a relatively dense community that you wouldn’t think would catch, but when you have structures that are so close to one another, and one of them catches fire, that can burn so hot that it’s just bursting the windows of the structure next door and going interior. So that becomes hard, and that’s where community effort is so important,” Allen told The Trail.
The University’s Emergency Response Plan lists several protocols for natural disaster emergencies. “The Fieldhouse and Pamplin Fitness Center are primary sites for gathering the campus community for temporary shelter purposes in the event other buildings cannot be occupied. The Training Room and adjacent areas may also be used for medical triage and treatment in the event of major campus medical emergencies. A special disaster Information voice message box (extension 4900) will be used to provide abbreviated reports regarding the status of campus occupants, facilities, and operations.” More information can be found at pugetsound.edu/emergency.
Allen believes “the number one mistake is people thinking it won’t happen to them.” He notes that preparedness is key. “As students, you can become educated on what is defensible space and what is your plan, and make sure that you have your evacuation bags ready and planned.”