RENO, Nev. (KOLO) — Three members of the International Community of Christ lost their homes when the Bug Fire burned through the Red Rock Consecrated Sanctuary, Retreat and Wildlife Park on Aug. 9.

Ted Staver, Michael McIntyre and Barbara Whitney lived on the 650-acre property, located at 5015 Matterhorn Blvd. in Reno. All three lost their houses and most of their belongings in the fire.

Staver, who has lived on the property for 22 years and serves as the main steward, said the fire destroyed the chapter house, where he and Whitney each lived on opposite ends, along with the space where McIntyre lived. Seven outbuildings were also destroyed, including two wooden sheds, greenhouses, a screen house used to grow fruit trees, and a Quonset hut that stored maintenance equipment and a backhoe.

he big ask: we are seeking funds through a GoFundMe page. Funds raised will go toward helping to replace essential belongings and housing for those who lost everything and toward beginning the recovery process by addressing immediate needs caused by the fire.

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Many hundreds of juniper trees — some as old as five hundred years — were consumed by the flames.

Fortunately, the Cathedral Church of the Americas remains, as do all of the churches and shrines in the greater sanctuary area.  The parsonage, which houses the Reverends Robert and Noriko Roy and their son, was thankfully saved.

We are reaching out to the wider faith community for assistance in the rebuilding process. Rebuilding what was lost and restoring this special place will be a tremendous undertaking, and we cannot do it alone. The first step is debris removal. If someone in your congregation has faced this situation before and can share information with us, we would greatly appreciate it.
Also, if anyone in your community has contacts in local or state government who may be able to help us or if they have experience seeking disaster relief grants, including writing grants, we would appreciate you contacting us.

Now for the big ask: we are seeking funds through a GoFundMe page. Funds raised will go toward helping to replace essential belongings and housing for those who lost everything and toward beginning the recovery process by addressing immediate needs caused by the fire.