Wildfire Rages as Thousands Evacuated From California County
Pastor Dale Morgan
Wildfire Rages as Thousands Evacuated From California County*
Fire Near Paradise Has Burned 20,500 Acres
POSTED: 5:56 am PDT June 12, 2008
UPDATED: 11:33 pm PDT June 12, 2008
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. -- All roads into the town of Paradise were closed
late Thursday evening because of an 20,500-acre wildfire that's forced
thousands of people from their homes and destroyed at least 10 residences.
About 30,000 people live in the Butte County community north of
Sacramento; more than 10,000 have been forced to evacuate, and about
1,000 firefighters are helping fight the blaze.
"There is fire everywhere, a lot of structures threatened," said Cal
Fire firefighter Justin Raber. "We're just trying to hang in there."
Some residents living in Paradise, Butte Valley and Butte Creek Canyon
are being asked to evacuate.
As of Thursday evening, the fire was just 10 percent contained, and more
than 5,000 structures are still threatened.
The fire that started just off Humboldt Road poses a special challenge
because flames were spread across three canyons.
"It's scary," said one resident who evacuated. "Hopefully they will be
able to save our home."
An evacuation center is set up at the Neighborhood Church at 2801 Notre
Dame Blvd. in Chico (map).
Small animals can be taken to the Search & Rescue building located at
Morrow Lane. Large animals to the Chico State Farm at 311 Nicholas C
Shouten Lane, officials said.
Firefighters have come from as far as Orange County to assist in the
so-called Humboldt fire.
Three firefighters escaped to safety Thursday in a Cal Fire public
information officer's fire engine after they were overrun by a blaze off
Indian Springs Road.
A DC-10 tanker plane and several helicopters were seen dumping retardant
and water on the wildfire.
This is the latest among several fires this week fueled by extreme north
winds, heat and low humidity. Dozens of homes and other structures have
burned this week in Northern California, with the other big fires
located in the Butte County town of Palermo, in Stockton and in eastern
Sacramento County.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed additional resources to Butte County
Wednesday to fight wildfires through Cal Fire and the Office of
Emergency Services, including the authorization of the use of DC-10 and
DC-7 firefighting airplanes.
With several fires burning around the region, firefighting crews are
stretched thin. Firefighters said with the Humboldt Road fire, they
found themselves simply herding the blaze around homes.
"With the resources we had, that was pretty much all we could do," said
Chad Porter of Cal Fire. "The fire was moving so fast, and we were so
short of resources that that's pretty much the only option at that point
in time."
Meanwhile, a fire that burned homes in Palermo is now contained. The
blaze charred 1,600 acres and destroyed 49 buildings, including 21
homes. All evacuation orders were lifted. The cause remains under
investigation.
Along with the two Butte County fires, crews on Wednesday fought blazes
in Vacaville, Placer County and Fairfield.
A house and three cars were destroyed Wednesday by a grass fire near
Vacaville. All 10 residents of the home escaped safely.
"We're just trying to hang in there."
-Cal Fire firefighter Justin Raber
In Fairfield, a six-alarm vegetation fire burned east of Travis Air
Force Base, near Creed and Meridian roads.
Three firefighters were burned while fighting a fire in Placer County
near Lincoln. Firefighters were using a fire truck to douse flames when
the wind shifted and the blaze overcame the crew, an official said. The
three were taken to UC Davis Medical Center. Two of the firefighters
suffered serious burns, while the third was treated and released.
On Tuesday, dozens of residences burned the Quail Lakes area of Stockton
just east of Interstate 5.
Two homes and 6,400 acres burned Tuesday in east Sacramento County. A
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District captain suffered serious burns in
that fire and remains hospitalized at UC Davis Medical Center.