Spokane Bootmaker Steps Up for Firefighters as Community Rallies Through Wildfires
As wildfires continue to affect the Spokane, Washington, area, a powerful wave of community support is bringing practical help and encouragement to the people battling the flames.
The fires, which began Saturday, August 1, have burned more than 10,400 acres and destroyed approximately 900 structures. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate. Although the devastation is extensive, no deaths have been reported.
Firefighters have worked continuously to contain the blazes. Authorities have charged one man with first-degree arson for allegedly starting one of the area’s three most aggressive fires.
While fundraisers are helping residents recover financially, Spokane-based work boot manufacturer JK Boots has found another meaningful way to serve its neighbors. The company has transformed its headquarters into a welcoming relief station for firefighters, offering meals, drinks, rest, and a place to recover between demanding shifts.
“We’ve opened our headquarters to the crews on these fires,” JK Boots announced in an August 2 social media post. “Hot coffee. Hot food. A place to wash up, cool off, and rest — our break room is yours.”
The company has also donated a substantial portion of its profits to residents who lost their homes. As word of its efforts spread, local volunteers and donors began arriving with bulk supplies and helping distribute them to first responders.
A promise of 50 pairs becomes something much bigger
JK Boots soon expanded its response by giving firefighters brand-new work boots at no cost. The company initially hoped to provide 50 pairs, valued at approximately $25,000. It quickly exceeded that goal.
“We’re just going to keep going,” co-owner Tim Khadzhi told The Spokesman-Review. “I don’t know when it’s going to stop.”
The bootmaker established another relief point at the incident command post at Mt. Spokane High School. There, firefighters have been able to exchange worn-out, damaged, and duct-taped footwear for sturdy new boots.
Piles of discarded boots have accumulated at the site, offering a striking picture of the difficult conditions crews have endured.
“We’ve handmade wild land fire boots in Spokane for 20 years for the people who run toward fires,” the company shared online. “The fight came to our home. This week, they’re defending our own streets. So we’re going all in.”
Handmade in the United States, the boots normally retail for between $575 and $700. Despite their value, JK Boots continues to distribute them for free to firefighters who need them.
Supporters across the country join the effort
People outside Spokane soon began asking how they could help provide additional boots. In response, the company created a Sponsor a Firefighter program on its website.
For $624.99, supporters can sponsor a pair of boots for a firefighter. They may also include an encouraging message to accompany the gift.
“We are not marketing this. We are not advertising it. There are zero ad dollars behind it,” JK Boots said. “The public built this, and all we did was answer.”
The total number of donated pairs has not yet been confirmed, but their value to the firefighters is already clear.
“To buy a set of boots like that today is like 600 bucks, and for some of these kids, that’s half a month’s wages,” Brad Smith, a training specialist with the California Team 7 incident management team, told The Spokesman-Review.
Smith said the community’s kindness has been especially moving because so many residents are helping even while facing profound losses of their own.
“We’re overwhelmed by the fact that in everybody’s loss, they’ve lost everything. They’re still rallying around our firefighters here. It’s really something.”
For Khadzhi and the JK Boots team, helping was the natural response.
“We just wanted to do anything that we could,” he told Inlander. “With this disaster hitting our hometown, when it’s so close, it just feels a lot different. There’s this feeling that you want to go out there and help and do whatever you can.”
New boots bring comfort and joy
Each donated pair carries its own story.
One firefighter arrived after the soles of his boots had completely melted away. He had been wearing a friend’s boots that were a size and a half too small before JK Boots fitted him with a proper replacement.
Another firefighter named Kenny had been relying on boots held together with duct tape following weeks of demanding work with his Seattle Watershed strike team.
“A new pair of JK wildland fire boots was the easy part. The best part was watching his reaction,” the company wrote.
“Kenny walked around showing everyone his new boots, kicking his feet out, and smiling like he couldn’t believe it. Before long, three more members of his crew were fitted with new boots too.”
Those moments are part of a much larger outpouring of kindness unfolding at the company’s base camp. Firefighters are receiving not only essential equipment but also meals, supplies, encouragement, and heartfelt gratitude from the community they are protecting.
“What started as a simple question — ‘How can we help?’ — has turned into one of the most meaningful weeks in our company’s history,” JK Boots shared on social media.
“We’ve met wild land firefighters finishing exhausting shifts, donated boots to crews who needed them most, watched our community rally around the Spokane Complex Fires, and been reminded that the best part of being a local business is showing up when your neighbors need you.”
Amid an extraordinarily difficult fire season, Spokane residents and supporters nationwide have shown how quickly compassion can grow when people work together. For JK Boots, that means continuing to welcome firefighters, replacing worn-out footwear, and making sure those on the front lines know their efforts are deeply appreciated.
“We’re so thankful for every firefighter who has stopped by this week,” the company wrote. “Spokane has seen firsthand what this fire season has demanded, and your work doesn’t go unnoticed. Stay safe out there.”
