Teen’s resilience shines in senior photos taken amid rubble of home lost to wildfire

SPOKANE, Wash. (KXLY) - A high school senior in Washington state has turned the devastation of losing his home to a wildfire into a symbol of resilience.

Weeks before his senior year of high school, Becks Bird lost his childhood home in Spokane to the Old Trails fire in August. He grew up with Riverside State Park as his backyard, and the plan was to use it as a natural backdrop for his senior photos.

“I probably ran over a thousand miles back in those trails, biked a lot with my friends,” Becks said.

But while he still needed senior photos, the backdrop had changed.

“There’s always been such good lighting there. But this year, there was no flowers. Normally, there’d be flowers,” he said.

Still, Becks chose to have his senior photos taken by what remained of his home on the morning of his last first day of high school. He stood along charred trees and debris, capturing his senior year the best he could.

Photographer Jenna Starr says the session was especially emotional for Becks’ family. One photo shows all four of them standing near the remains of their home.

“I couldn’t really look at his mom because it was so emotional for her. That was the forest her son was raised in,” Starr said. “But Becks is just resilient. He’s tough. He’s always been kind of tough.”

Like many in the Rifle Club neighborhood, the Bird family only had minutes to evacuate as the fire moved through the area. Becks, a cross-county athlete, was able to grab his medals before leaving. Those medals were also included in his senior photos.

Now, as Becks moves through his senior year and looks ahead to the future, he’s already learned some of life’s hardest lessons – and is more resilient for it.

“Don’t run away from it. You gotta live in it. You’ve got to move on at some point, so might as well make it now. So, you can get on with it faster, start trying to live a normal life again,” he said.

The Bird family is currently rebuilding their home in the Rifle Club neighborhood. More than 900 structures were damaged in the Spokane Complex fires.