Alison Oszman hopes the acute threat that the Durkee Fire poses to her home has passed.

“We’re a little more relaxed today,” Oszman said on Thursday morning, July 25, from the 20-acre property in Rye Valley where she and her boyfriend, Jim McKinney, live.

Their home is about 9 miles west of Interstate 84.

The fire burned around their home on July 19, two days after a lightning bolt, several miles to the west, ignited the blaze.

Oszman said in the following days the fire continued to spread east, threatening Matthew Schacht’s property about a mile from the freeway and about 8 miles from Oszman and McKinney’s home.

Oszman said that on Tuesday, July 23, she and McKinney helped Schacht and a crew of firefighters create a defensible space around Schacht’s home that helped keep the flames at bay on Wednesday, July 24.

She said the group, which numbered about 15 people, moved firewood away from the home and trimmed low-hanging limbs from trees.

Oszman said the firefighters set up a portable water tank and connected it to sprinklers.

“It was a major undertaking,” she said.

Firefighters even climbed on Schacht’s roof, which is metal, and swept away leaves and limbs that could catch a spark.

On Wednesday the fire arrived, and at one point the flames were so high that firefighters, along with Oszman and McKinney and Schacht, had to leave, Oszman said.

Later in the afternoon, around 2 p.m., Oszman said she and McKinney drove back to Schacht’s property, dousing a few spot fires along the Rye Valley Road.

Schacht returned, along with firefighters who refilled the tank and got the sprinklers going.

Only light rain showers fell, but the crew was able to save Schacht’s home, Oszman said.

“A lot of effort from a lot of people to save it,” she said.

Heavier rain fell later, after the fire had moved on.

Schacht said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon that he is grateful for the help, from firefighters and from neighbors including Oszman and McKinney.

“It was fantastic that way,” said Schacht, who has lived on Rye Valley Lane for four years. “I’m so lucky.”

He said his home is unscathed and his livestock, including about 10 horses and 30 cows, were also unhurt.

During the week between the fire’s start and the flames creeping toward his property, Schacht said he was anxiously anticipating its arrival.

“You know it’s coming, he said. “You just hope you have the right plan.”

He said the fire progressed slowly — until it didn’t.

Schacht said that although he expected wind from Wednesday’s storm, he was surprised by its ferocity and by its shifting nature.

“Nobody knows what’s going to happen,” he said.

Schacht said that although he feels better than he did before the fire came so close to his house, he is still concerned about the possibility of a flare up.

“It’s still not over,” he said. “There’s still a lot of places that are burning.”

With the ground still damp Thursday morning, Oszman said she feels more confident than she did earlier in the week.

There is still some dry grass on the couple’s property, although most of the surrounding ground burned last weekend.

Oszman said she has been without power since Monday, July 22, but the couple have generators.