Sep 25, 2024
LOUISA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- For six months, 8News has been following a 450-acre wildfire that swept across Louisa County in March. Just this Tuesday, James Grant League was found guilty of leaving a fire unattended and causing careless damage to property by fire.   The Twin Oaks Community in Louisa lost nearly half of its property in this March wildfire. Twin Oaks is home to 100 people who produce their own food and run their own businesses. It's been a tough six months since the fire blazed through their property.    "It's been quite the economic hit for us," Twin Oaks resident Keenan Dakota said. Dakota has lived at Twin Oaks for 41 years, raising his two kids there. He said Twin Oaks sits on 500 acres -- 220 of which were razed by the wildlife. Thankfully, everyone in the community made it out safely.  PREVIOUS: ‘We’re going to have to rebuild,’ Louisa grapples with aftermath of raging fire "We were all very scared," Dakota said, recalling that day. "We all saw the smoke and we evacuated."  It wasn't until three days later that they could return to the property, unsure what damage had been left behind.  "It was only the next morning, after the sun rose, that we could walk around and ... just get struck by the devastation that had happened," Dakota said.    The biggest loss was their woodworking complex and warehouse.  "Our building's made out of metal and we thought, 'Well, that's not gonna burn,'" Dakota said. Twin Oaks used that building for its hammock-making business -- the community's main source of income. Dakota estimated that rebuilding and buying new equipment would cost $1.5 million. However, making that money without their primary money-maker is an obvious challenge. "We have to figure out what we're gonna do to make money," he said.   Dakota said that, since March, several local churches have donated money and items to the community, including a stove and other kitchen utensils. "The spirit in the community is good, because disaster tends to bring people together," Dakota said. "We have had to do without -- and people are doing without, without complaining."   During 8News' visit to Twin Oaks, Dakota had that spirited nature on full display, hopping onto a see-saw he and the community members made out of burned tree remains. Bobbing up and down, he exclaimed, "When life gives you lemons!" On Tuesday, Sept. 24, James League was found guilty in connection to the wildfire after leaving a fire unattended. The community hasn't been able to start rebuilding or cleaning up because they're waiting for League's legal team to assess the damage.  Community members still have an ongoing civil case against League and residents don't know what will come from it. But they're hoping for some sort of compensation after such a rough patch. 
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