Hope in a bagpiper’s melody amid the ashes of the Stillwater wildfire

When Scott McKinley and his wife, Brittany, drove to see their home for the first time after the wildfires tore through Stillwater, Scott didn't think before he pulled out his bagpipes and started playing. His wife recorded as he played 'Amazing Grace,' in front of their burned-down home on Hidden Oaks Drive.

“It’s the only thing I could do,” said Scott. “You can’t rebuild it all in one day. You can’t do anything else, so might as well play music. At least that makes me feel better when I do that.”

The video of Scott playing on one of his only belongings struck a chord around the country and with his neighbors, who also lost everything.

“As soon as I seen his video, all emotions came over me and I started crying because of how grateful he was about having his bagpipes as one of his only things left,” said Scott’s next door neighbor Cody Condit, who also lost his home.

Fundraiser by Amber Day : Support the Condit Family Directly after the Fire

Cody and Scott were trying to fight the flames on Friday evening as they approached the neighborhood, but their garden hoses and buckets were no match for the wind.

"There was nothing we could do," said Scott.

But the mourning didn't last long, and Scott has felt the support of his community.

"We call it Stillwater strong," he said. "This community is just unbelievable. And that’s really the main reason why we’re never leaving. We’re cowboys. We’re from Stillwater. That’s who we are and that’s who we’re always gonna be.”

Fundraiser for Brittany McKinley by Blake Murray : Help support the McKinley Family after the Stillwater fire.

That spirit was on full display at Finnegan's Fighting Goat on March 17.

"I looked at my wife this afternoon, and said 'You know what? I’m tired of being sad,'" said Scott. "It’s St. Patrick’s Day. It's our favorite day of the year for playing in a Celtic band, this is our Superbowl."

Without even telling the bar the band was coming, Scott showed up with his bagpipes, a guitar player, a fiddler, and a keyboardist.

The pub cleared a space immediately.

"When I watched his video playing pipes in front of his house it was immediate tears," said the pub manager. "I had no expectations that he would even want to get out after something like that – who would? But he loves St. Patrick’s Day. He loves playing his pipes."

Scott's band, the Waxie Dargles, started the show the same way they always do, with Scott walking in and playing his pipes. But this time the tune was different. It was called 'My Home.'

"We may have lost our house but this is still our home," he said. "And that’s the way we’re going to treat it."

The McKinley's plan to rebuild along with their neighbors. They’re already planning the block party for when that day comes.

Scott's family would like you to consider donating to the families on Hidden Oaks. They donated all of the money given to the band at Finnegan's to the Condit family.

Fundraiser by Natalie Noles : Rebuilding after the Fires- Support the Noles Family

Fundraiser for Cayton Jones by Rachel Jones : Support for Jones Family's Fire Recovery