Paradise, the main town in Butte County, is a favorite spot for recent retirees with limited spending power who are looking to hang their boots. The intensity of the fires have left many wondering if the damage done is irreparable.
As the camp fire blazes on, the fatality count keeps increasing every day and has now touched 56 while more than 65 percent of the camp fire still remains to be brought under control.
- A public list of nearly 300 people along with their respective names and addresses who have gone missing are yet to be found
- More than 10,000 establishments, mostly residences, have been reduced to rubble; tens of thousands of homes are still under threat
- 135,000 acres of land have been scorched
- Around 65% of the camp fire is yet to be brought under control
The damage in Butte County has been severe enough that the President has declared the camp fire a major disaster so that impacted citizens, especially in towns such as Paradise and Concow, can avail relief funds and grants. The entire infrastructural framework of Paradise has to be rebuilt from the scratch. Experts at FEMA are already expecting prolonged recovery and restoration measures in Butte County well after the camp fire has been completely diffused. Needless to say, residents in the town of Paradise will bear the brunt of it all.
Other efforts include cutting handlines in the terrain to put fuel breaks in the vegetation. Fire retardants are also being spread in the area immediately surrounding the Bear Ranch communications tower to slow down the momentum with which the flames are spreading. These tasks were carried out across regions such as the Big Bend area, Berry Creek, Cherokee, Helltown and Nimshew Road.
FEMA opened an enrollment office at Oroville Walmart as a temporary arrangement while efforts are simultaneously underway to set up a bigger center in Chico that would allow people who have lost their homes in the camp fire to apply for grants and aid. The exact location of the center in Chico is yet to be decided. FEMA officials hope to provide locals in Butte County with a one stop shop for all their disaster recovery needs.
Rescue officials in FEMA are also assisting locals who have had to evacuate their residences and are currently stationed at the Pleasant Valley Baptist Church. Church administration is busy mobilizing relief funds for the victims on premises and consolidating available resources and supplies. Charitable contributions are being accepted between 10 am and 7 pm at 13539 Garner Lane.
Although there is an outside possibility of showers in the region, weather experts haven’t been able to confirm when and with what level of intensity the rains will occur in Butte County.
Support from Other States
Meanwhile, the fire departments from other states in the country are lending Californians a helping hand during these trying times.
More than 200 fire engines from various states such as Oregon, Texas, Washington, Utah, Montana, New Mexico and Idaho have arrived on the scene to partake in the emergency efforts. This brought the total tally of fire engines to more than 600. The state also has at its disposal more than 5,500 personnel besides water tenders, helicopters, hand crews and bulldozers that can be deployed in Butte County.
There has been a lot of speculation about faulty PG&E equipment – transmission line outage and disruption to a transmission tower – that might have caused the camp fire. However, no conclusive evidence regarding the source of the fire has been produced as yet.
Experts anticipate the monetary impact due to damage and losses in Butte County to hover in and around the $200 billion mark which would seriously burden the state’s government’s budget. This would in turn result in greater taxes being levied on the citizens.
Wesley Fire
Meanwhile, in the Wesley fire, more than 400 constructions have been brought down with another half a million constructions in the line of fire. Two individuals lost their lives. Nearly a hundred thousand acres of land, including in areas such as Malibu and Thousand Oaks, have been burnt.
Nearly 85% of the Hill Fire has been brought under control.