"We Had to Find a Way": Corvias, Army Partners Rally to Help Military Families After Devastating Fire

How the Corvias-Army partnership and extraordinary effort quickly found new homes for five families in need

FORT RILEY, Kan. (September 19, 2026) – When lightning sparked a massive fire at an off-post apartment complex near Fort Riley last month, four military families were plunged into crisis. All escaped injury but lost their homes, belongings and sense of security. 

Within hours, the Fort Riley Garrison leadership team activated its emergency response operation, bringing together Corvias and other critical partners to help.

“Our first priority was making sure these families were safe and had a roof over their heads,” said Fort Riley Garrison Commander. Colonel Orr,  . “We immediately brought our partners together to identify every possible option. Corvias, our military housing partner, was an important part of that effort from the start.” 

A Daunting Challenge 

The Garrison Commander asked Corvias to help the families find permanent on-post housing for the families displaced by the blaze. It was a daunting challenge: every available Corvias home at Fort Riley was already committed to incoming residents, and the company's temporary hospitality accommodations were also occupied.

The busy summer permanent change of station (PCS) season was still also winding down when the fire broke out, leaving Corvias’ already packed turn schedule little room for four additional families on short notice.

“There wasn’t an immediate solution, but we knew we had to find a way to help," said Lizzie Flores, Corvias' Operations Director at Fort Riley. "That meant looking at the status of every home in our pipeline, turn timing and other factors so we could come together and solve problems in real time.”

Finding a Way Forward

Flores and Corvias’ leasing, maintenance and operations teams reviewed hundreds of homes to identify those that could be made available sooner, based on occupancy timing and turnover requirements, collaborating closely with Army leadership around the clock. The strong partnership was instrumental.

“The Garrison’s quick reaction and identification of personnel that required housing assistance allowed us the time to identify the rank band, family composition, and special needs,” said Assistant Operations Director Brad Spaid. “This was the communication that was vital to resources and prioritize homes for completion.”

In just days, as the Army arranged temporary accommodations, Corvias found a way forward, accelerating existing home turnovers, reprioritizing maintenance and rearranging housing assignments without disrupting commitments to incoming families.

When the loss of essential documents in the fire threatened to delay move-ins, the leasing team found ways to satisfy immediate requirements to give the displaced families time to obtain replacement records.

Four Families, Four New Homes

By the first of October, less than two weeks after the fire, all four families had moved into permanent Corvias housing. At a military housing community where wait times can stretch 45 to 60 days, securing homes for these families in just two weeks was virtually unprecedented. 

“When military families face a crisis, they need to know their Army greater community and resources will be there for them,” said Col. Orr. “Corvias was a critical partner in our response and assisted the Fort Riley team in placing these families into new homes.”

“These families had already been through so much,” quote Flores said. “They didn't need more obstacles standing between them and a place to call home. We’re privileged to serve military families and I'm incredibly proud our teams collaborated to make it happen.”

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