After the bonfire explosion in Pierce on July 5, seven victims were transported to the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment at the Regional Burn Center.
One of the victims still in the ICU is Emylee Macaluso, according to her mother, Kristin Macaluso, who reached out this week to make sure people know she is still fighting to overcome her burn injuries.
“We truly believe in the power of prayer, and we want the community to keep the prayers coming,” she said.
When the incident first happened, Macaluso said many people reached out to try to find out what happened, but Emylee was on a ventilator and unable to communicate.
“We made the decision as a family to decline all interviews until Emylee was stable and we had the opportunity to let her speak to investigators,” she said.
Emylee has undergone many surgeries, and still has a long road ahead, said Macaluso, but she continues to make steady progress every day.
“Emylee is so strong and handling this with grace, and lots of faith and prayer,” said Macaluso. “We are so grateful for the incredible team caring for her.”
While Emylee’s family is in Seattle to support her recovery, people have stepped up to help them care for their dogs and property. The Macaluso family wants to thank the community and everyone beyond Orofino who has supported them with prayers, love, encouragement and support.
“We truly believe those prayers have carried us through the darkest days,” said Macaluso. “We ask that everyone please continue praying for Emylee, her medical team, and our family and she continues fighting toward recovery. Every prayer, message and act of kindness has meant more than we could ever express.”
Emylee’s family doesn’t yet know when she’ll be able to come home, but they are hopeful she’ll be ready to leave the hospital at the end of August or early September.
KC Matos Browning also remains in the hospital after sustaining burns to approximately 80% of her body, including her face, arms, and legs, according to her GoFundMe fundraiser page. And Jake Wilson, the third victim still in the hospital, is also recovering from burns and being treated with skin grafts, according to his GoFundMe page set up by his sister.
Both Matos Browning and Wilson are currently in satisfactory condition, according to Brian Donohue, spokesperson for the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Editor's Note: Emylee and Wilson were not counted as victims in our previous story because of differing information about their legal names in hospital records.
