Remembering Spokane
Berkly Catton, a former Spokane Chiefs standout who now wears a Kraken jersey, returned to the city that shaped his teenage years to confront a tragedy that has left an indelible mark on the region.
The wildfires that swept Eastern Washington in recent weeks have razed more than nine hundred structures and forced the evacuation of at least sixty‑five thousand residents, a loss that Catton describes as a personal wound.
For Catton, the flames are not just statistics; they erased the suburban neighborhood where his billet family, Grant and Jennifer Barnes, once opened their home to a young hockey hopeful, a place where new houses were still rising when he first explored the area on an e‑bike.
Fire‑retardant drops from aircraft spared the Barnes residence, a narrow reprieve that underscores the randomness of disaster, yet the surrounding area remains under a Level 3 evacuation warning, keeping Catton’s own home on edge.
The emotional weight of the loss is amplified by memories of riding through Spokane’s streets as a teenager, watching the community tighten its bonds in the face of adversity, a bond that now drives Catton to pledge support for affected families.
Before reporting to training camp, Catton plans to travel back to Spokane, intending to visit neighbors, share resources, and lend a hand to those rebuilding, a gesture that reflects both personal gratitude and a broader commitment to the city that raised him.
The fires have also drawn attention to the actions of Aaron Farinacci, who was arrested in connection with the Old Trails Fire, one of three major blazes that have tested the resilience of Spokane County.