Paradise Lost: Camp Fire in Butte County Destroys a Town and Threatens More (Maps, Photos, Video)

A house burns east of Chico in the area of Oak RIdge and Skyway. [Crop of a photo by Mark McKenna]

A house burns east of Chico in the area of Oak Ridge and Skyway. [Crop of a photo by Mark McKenna]

Multiple structures are burned and multiple more are threatened as the Camp Fire which started early yesterday continues to rage east of Chico. Reports from the scene indicate it reached around 70,000 acres yesterday and is now 5% contained.

The town of Paradise in the hills above Chico was flattened by the quick moving fire. The town newspaper reports that up to 1,000 homes burned and there were multiple deaths.

Below is an amateur and heartbreaking video as a couple flees with their cats through their devasted town.

A strike team from Humboldt County is at the scene and awaiting assignment. According to a post by Humboldt Bay Fire, “Arcata Fire DistrictBriceland Volunteer Fire Department, Miranda Volunteer Fire Department, Blue Lake Volunteer Fire Department and Humboldt Bay Fire crews make up the 5 department Strike Team.”

The Weather:  

The Weather Service continues to predict Red Flag Warning (meaning that conditions are at their peak for fire spread) through this morning. It will be dry and breezy today with higher winds this morning.

Winds are expected to die down around 11 a.m. today but become strong again on Sunday. There is a window of opportunity with better conditions over the next 24-36 hours. 

The Plan:

At this point, firefighters have to be ready for anything with this explosive blaze. Normally, they would be using highways and waterways as lines to hold the fire within. However, the fire has been spotting out ahead. The Camp Fire is predicted to be staying low through the morning and then starting to crown and torch through the afternoon and overnight winds.

Images:


Video by Mark McKenna of a home burning in the Skansen Estate area off Oak Ridge Drive

Tweets from two official sources that show some of the devastation and fury of the flames.

The Roads:

Caltrans District 3 is reporting:

  • Hwy 70 is closed westbound from Garden Dr. to Hwy 89 junction and also closed from Hwy 89 junction to Hwy 149 junction.
  • Hwy 99 is closed both north and southbound from Shippee Rd. to Southgate Ave. 
  • Hwy 191 closed at Hwy 70 junction.

Numerous county roads are also closed.

The Maps:

  • Camp Fire Public Information Map –to see details either zoom or click on the map and download a pdf.

  • Camp Fire Operations Map –to see details either zoom or click on the map and download a pdf.

  • Camp Fire KMZ Map–Zoom for detail or for 3D imagery, click on the map and download a file that connects with your Google Earth program. Warning this imagery was captured around 8 p.m. last night and does not show the latest borders.

Heat map from yesterday at 8 p.m. CAUTION: Borders have dramatically changed.

Evacuation Information:

According to Cal Fire,

Evacuation orders established for Paradise, Magalia, Concow, Butte Creek Canyon and Butte Valley

Forest Ranch is under evacuation warning.

For more information on evacuations visit, www.buttecounty.net

Church of the Nazarene, 2238 Monte Vista Ave, Oroville, CA 95966 Butte County Fairgrounds, 199 E Hazel St, Gridley, CA 95948 The Neighborhood Church, 2801 Notre Dame Blvd, Chico, CA 95928. THIS SHELTER IS FULL.

Butte County Sheriff also reports:

  • An Evacuation Order has been issued for the area of Stirling City and Inskip. Residents are advised to exit up through Butte Meadows and down Hwy 32.
  • An evacuation shelter is open at Glenn County Fairgrounds in Orland, 221 E. Yolo Street, for those evacuating the upper ridge…
  • Chester Memorial Hall, 22 Gay Street, is now open for evacuees…
  • Glenn County Fairgrounds 221 E Yolo St in Orland is now open for evacuees…

UPDATE: Camp Fire Tops 100,000 Acres; Multiple Dead (Maps, Video, and Images From the Devastation East of Chico)

Earlier Chapter: 

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Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Thank you for the update. I was waiting until the story was posted here before heading out to work. So sad.

stuber
Guest
stuber
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Cut all the trees on your land down, and process the wood, mill it, or whatever. Get your trees down, clear them out, and be fire safe. The older the growth, the hotter it burns, then there goes your house, your life. Do not let hand wringing liberals and enviros stop you. Cut baby cut, or burn baby burn

Stephen
Guest
Stephen
5 years ago

This is bad this fire & the 2 in Ventura County not good

Bushytails
Guest
Bushytails
5 years ago

They’re been upwardsly revising that 1000 homes estimate… last night they were up to “a couple of thousand”

“”Pretty much the community of Paradise is destroyed, it’s that kind of devastation,” said Cal Fire Capt. Scott McLean late Thursday. “The wind that was predicted came and just wiped it out.”

McLean estimated that a couple of thousand structures were destroyed in the town of 27,000 residents about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco, where residents scrambled to flee. The extent of the injuries and specific damage count was not immediately known as officials could not access the dangerous area.”

If anyone needs help picturing a town of 27,000 residents, that’s the same population as the Eureka city limits, or all of Arcata and surrounding communities combined.

Bushytails
Guest
Bushytails
5 years ago
Reply to  Bushytails

Now they’re saying over 6,700 homes burnt…

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
5 years ago

OMG! This is awful.

CLAUDIA Johnson
Guest
CLAUDIA Johnson
5 years ago

I don’t even know what to say anymore this fire season this year has been like living in hell firefighters please be careful I read it since 70000 Acres was only 20 when we went to bed so a group 50,000 Acres overnight everyone please be careful and heed the warnings get out

wildman
Guest
wildman
5 years ago

Actually the fire was well past 20,000 acres at nightfall yesterday but the scene was so frantic and there was so much smoke making mapping impossible Calfire stopped posting estimates.

Things are changing fast in our world. During the Mendo Complex I posted that normal rates of spread used to be 10 acres the first hour and 50 the second but were now 100 acres first hour and 500 the second making containment impossible. Now that can be thrown out the window as Camp Fire went from 1000 acres first hour to 10,000 acres the second. And in Nov when we would normally be doing prescribed fires.

Ullr rover
Guest
Ullr rover
5 years ago

“Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.” …

Geoffrey davis
Guest
Geoffrey davis
5 years ago
Reply to  Ullr rover

EX TEBEBRIS LUX.

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Geoffrey davis

Ex Tenebris Lux, or ‘out of darkness, light’ maybe?

I wondered how long it would take to start looking for a literary path out of this unimaginable disaster.
I started thinking about Dante’s “Inferno” and Milton’s “Paradise Lost” when these fires started, in Paradise and in Southern California.

It makes a person realize how totally helpless that we are against forces that exist in nature. Sadly, when thinking about what possible disasters can happen, this disaster in just a bump in the path of the history of this world.

If you have any family at all, you have family that has been involved in this year’s fires. I hope your family and friends have fared well.

I miss my days on the fire department and wish that I was young enough to do something to help fight these fires, but alas, there comes a time when a person has to realize that they might do more to hinder than help. Damn!

If you are a capable young person, join a fire team, take your training and drills seriously… I guarantee that it will be the best gig of your life. You will be the most appreciated person that you can ever imagine, like we all appreciate our local fire teams out there fighting these fires now.

For Geoffrey Davis: Vulcan is the God of fire, metalworking, and the forge

Lorrie
Guest
Lorrie
5 years ago

<3

Ullr rover
Guest
Ullr rover
5 years ago
Reply to  Ullr rover

From Milton’s “Paradise Lost”.

“O Progeny of Heav’n, Empyreal Thrones,
With reason hath deep silence and demur
Seiz’d us, though undismay’d: long is the way
And hard, that out of Hell leads up to Light;
Our prison strong, this huge convex of Fire,
Outrageous to devour, immures us round
Ninefold and gates of burning Adamant
Barred over us prohibit all egress.”

It seemed apropo.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

11/11/11 is Sunday. I’ve read it is the most powerful day for manifesting. Pray, meditate, gather together, hug a tree barefooted, sit quietly by a river, go within and claim your Divinity against (yes Kym) the evildoers. Lord help us as we help one another.

“The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society. . . And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment.” John F. Kennedy, Tyranny of Secrecy, April 27, 1961.

I can’t help but w o n d e r – does The County’s (Humboldt) brain-dead reps. happen to have a contract (no, not contract), agreement, in place with the Boeing 747 Supertanker guy?

White Rabbit
Guest
White Rabbit
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

11/11/11 was 7 years ago

Mary E Papin
Guest
Mary E Papin
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

11/11/11? Last I knew it is 2018, so Sunday’s date is 11/11/18.

Shak
Guest
Shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Plus the 11th hour is pertinent to this day.

CB
Guest
CB
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

to Central HumCo That’s such a crock of BS

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  CB

I believe in the wisdom of the ancients.

Willie Caso-Mayhem
Guest
5 years ago

It’s almost like Northern California is under attack by mother nature.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago

You say Mother Nature, others say ‘typical playbook”.

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  shak

when trump uses the word “others say”, fact checkers consistently find that the “others” are right wing extremist conspiracy theorist.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  local observer

JOHN F. KENNEDY SECRET SOCIETY SPEECH

“The very word ‘secrecy’ is repugnant in a free and open society and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to ‘secret societies,’ to ‘secret oaths,’ and ‘secret proceedings’ . . .For we are opposed around the world by a ‘monolithic and ruthless conspiracy’ that relies on ‘covert’ means for expanding its sphere of influence –on ‘infiltration’ instead of ‘invasion,’ on ‘subversion’ instead of ‘elections,’ on intimidation instead of free choice, on ‘guerillas by night’ instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.”

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

I love that speech and listen to it often on YT.
He was my favorite president until POTUS took office, now they’re tied. I hope and pray that Trump will achieve JFK’s dreams and goals like he has set out to do.
They’re both amazing men, truly amazing.

One can always tell when one is on target, because the shills come out to distract and deflect. Panic in the house lol.

Trolls Abound
Guest
Trolls Abound
5 years ago
Reply to  shak

All Trump does is distract, deflect and lie. To compare Trump to JFK is the funniest thing yet. Thanks for the comedic relief in an otherwise heartbreaking story.😂😂😂😂

Shak
Guest
Shak
5 years ago
Reply to  local observer

Fact checkers ROFLMAO!!
Bias Confirmers is more like it.

Tip: The first clue that you’re reading propaganda is the use of emotional manipulation to guide you into a state of mental manipulation to tell you what to think & how to feel. Those who believe the propaganda soon find themselves on blogs insulting and bullying those who do not believe the propaganda.
I’m honored to have had several bullies chasing me on Kym’s blog.

Trolls Abound
Guest
Trolls Abound
5 years ago
Reply to  Shak

You just described Trump.

Mama Bear
Guest
Mama Bear
5 years ago

Sounds like poor forest management for several generations. Now we are stuck with an even-age-management monocultural tinderbox waiting for a spark. I’ve studied this issue from many perspectives and always come to the same conclusion. I wonder if Cal-Fire will learn and change policy… or keep folding to industrial forestry’s LIES.

LostCoastEMP
Guest
LostCoastEMP
5 years ago

By 2030. Extreme climate change weather will dominate the planet. This is and will be the new norm. Prepare. And get used too it!

Mary E Papin
Guest
Mary E Papin
5 years ago
Reply to  LostCoastEMP

Well, allowing forestlands to be cut down and paved over, and allowing them to turn into tinderboxes full of dead dry fuwl so they burn down and turn into desert will certainly upset the biosphere. Humans have egregiously FAILED as stewards of the natural resources on
this earth.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Mary E Papin

I have to agree. As a species, we’re so dumbed-down we don’t know which way is up.

2cents
Guest
2cents
5 years ago

Nature bats last. Condolences to all.
We’ve been hurting the earth tremendously and like everything theres a reaction to that.
There are sustainable ways to do every single thing we need that are currently made from petroleum. The patent laws have allowed big corporations to buy those patents to sit on. Sustainability and capitalism dont mix well.

Basically if you dont want more of these fires then get involved with doing away with petroleum, change the way we manage forests and water, & listen to people like good scientists who actually know what theyre talking about, & look at how you can change your lifestyle.

Unfortunately this is the new normal and its not gonna get better all we can do is try to make it nit worse but in 5-10 years we aregoing to be living in a very different world so mentally prepare yourself.
Why do you think folks have been protesting and doing civil disobedience all these years? The writings been in the wall big time for at least 10 years.
11 years ago a friend whos a climate scientilogist working at JPL said we had five years then abd he&his collegues went to every political person they could but he said they wouldnt listen and blew them off. In 1999 i read a book about climate change&fires and the projected outcome once the ocean temps warmed. Its surreal to watch it play out and also beyind frustrating as the science has been there a long time.

Im sure folks dont want to hear this in this thread, but thats kinda the problem. Hopes and prayers arent gonna cut it. We have to start facing and discussing things that make us uncomfortable. If you get depressed about it all, go volunteer somewhere. It helps.

Shaka
Guest
Shaka
5 years ago

Hey I gotta saying for ya TURN ON TUNE IN DROP OUT….

Thatsmybike
Guest
Thatsmybike
5 years ago

The other news outlets are all saying 17000 acres not 70000 acres, so take what you read here with a grain of salt.
Horrible situation either way of course.

LostCoastEMP
Guest
LostCoastEMP
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

That’s because kym Kemp is on top of things. Thanks. Super sad. It’s november for crying out load!

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

It’s hard to know what is real, what to believe, anymore. I don’t put much stock in CalFire after the $34.5 million they extorted from willingly uninformed Californians over the past five or so years.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

{Edit–please note there is no insulting other commenters on this site] Maybe instead of thinking of money maybe some of these counties should stop handing out burn permits or be fined themselves for causing most of what is going on. At least pay attention to the emergency weather updates beforehand.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago

Please explain were I was insulting the other commenter?

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago

For the last two weeks I’ve been receiving emergency weather updates about high winds and low humidity in those areas. Burn permits should have stopped being sold a week ago. Embers fly.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago

Agian tell me who I was insulting, if it was Central HumCo he just insulted Calfire. Sorry if the statement was taken wrong but I still dont see any insult.

Anti troll league
Guest
Anti troll league
5 years ago

And therein lies a problem.

Gazoo
Guest
Gazoo
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Thank you miss Kym!!! We love you!

Humboldt sucks!
Guest
Humboldt sucks!
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Lol,you dont give a fuck about the fire victims. You would drop this story so fast if you knew a caravan was headed to your pot growing buddies place! SMH. Fuck yup Kym kemp

The Hermit of Grizzly Mountain
Guest
The Hermit of Grizzly Mountain
5 years ago

Boo! Kym has empathy and logic and patience… Please have your meltdown somewhere else.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago

Agreed.

wildman
Guest
wildman
5 years ago

Yeah, something about Humboldt sucks, but its not Kym.

Dave Lyons
Guest
Dave Lyons
5 years ago
Reply to  wildman

Agreed!

farce
Guest
farce
5 years ago

Dude! I have strongly disagreed with Kym on some stuff…but I can never question her integrity or honesty. She lets us all post…she allows dissent…Look- she even let you say that! Be respectful even if you disagree or have something negative to say.

Where's Susie Blah Blah When You Need Her?
Guest
Where's Susie Blah Blah When You Need Her?
5 years ago

You are a rude person. Poor form. We don’t listen to such indelicate trash.
Get out and do something good, please. Kym rocks, does good, and we all know it.
Period.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

I’ve wondered the same thing – Where is suzyblahblah???

BonnieBlue
Guest
BonnieBlue
5 years ago

It isn’t Humboldt that sucks, you anonymous insulting potty-mouthed poster. You wanna bad-mouth, curse, and slander Kym, you don’t belong on the RHBB. Get your news and spit your spite somewhere else.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  BonnieBlue

Bright eyes?

Proud Deplorable Grandma
Guest
Proud Deplorable Grandma
5 years ago

What the heck? I’m conservative as hell, but I know Kym does a great job and works hard. I think she’s pretty balanced.

Thatsmybike
Guest
Thatsmybike
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

My apologies, I was completely wrong! Happens all the time actually. Didn’t mean to offend. I was looking at non-local news first for election results and got enraged with the other inflammatory garbage that is dubbed news. Then saw krcr listed 17k. But was probably yesterdays. Love what you do Kym, sorry.

Bushytails
Guest
Bushytails
5 years ago
Reply to  Thatsmybike

Maybe that’s because the other news outlets are still reporting last night’s official numbers, rather than today’s? Kym gets up earlier than most of those reporters, it would seem…

Ice
Guest
Ice
5 years ago
Reply to  Thatsmybike

That is an old figure. It’s up to over 80,000 acres now in all directions and only 2 miles from Chico..

Chris Lyman
Guest
Chris Lyman
5 years ago

Thanks Kym for compiling and posting the most helpful and informative compilation of information! Great job.

Dot
Guest
Dot
5 years ago

And watching the firefighters, law enforcement, linemen… drive in, while everyone else drives out. ..
Thank you responders, you have an incredibly challenging and dangerous job. Be safe.
Our hearts are heavy yet again for all those impacted by the Camp and Woolsey and other fires. And it’s November. The first wildfire of 2018 started in February in Inyo county, the first Northern Calf. wildfire June 9 in Tehama county. It’s been non-stop ever since. And most of these Nor Cal fires are these terrible, deadly, fast, wind driven fires that spot out even a mile ahead. Horrors.
Please be safe, everyone. Get some kind of emergency kit/plan together. Each year of late has beat the old record, and who knows what the future may bring ☹️

Al
Guest
Al
5 years ago
Reply to  Dot

Dot,
well said.

Rambler
Guest
Rambler
5 years ago

Echo that–love and appreciation to Kym. Really appreciate how you run this site for us.

Al
Guest
Al
5 years ago

Thanks for the update.

Kyme has some of the best reporting anywhere.

Old Humboldt
Guest
Old Humboldt
5 years ago

Striking video. Says more than any text could ever fully describe. I’m truly stunned and sad. I am deeply sorry for all these folks. I don’t know what it’s like to lose everything you have and then lose your entire community too. Your friends and neighbors are scattered and lost. Your house and pets and town are gone. It must be devastating in spirit and sad witnessing devastation everywhere you see. It has got to rock you down to the humble core.

I’m now grateful my Humboldt community here is OK in comparison, only because of seeing what these people had to go through, now and for the future. We could lose it all in an instant, too. It can be that quick and gone.

2cents
Guest
2cents
5 years ago

Nature bats last. Condolences to all.
We’ve been hurting the earth tremendously and like everything theres a reaction to that.
There are sustainable ways to do every single thing we need that are currently made from petroleum. The patent laws have allowed big corporations to buy those patents to sit on. Sustainability and capitalism dont mix well.

Basically if you dont want more of these fires then get involved with doing away with petroleum, change the way we manage forests and water, & listen to people like good scientists who actually know what theyre talking about, & look at how you can change your lifestyle.

Unfortunately this is the new normal and its not gonna get better all we can do is try to make it nit worse but in 5-10 years we aregoing to be living in a very different world so mentally prepare yourself.

Why do you think folks have been protesting and doing civil disobedience all these years? The writings been on the wall big time for at least 10 years.
11 years ago a friend whos a climate scientilogist working at JPL said we had five years then before we hit the true point of no return, and he&his collegues went to every political person&meeting they could but he said they wouldnt listen and blew them off.
In 1999 i read a book about climate change&fires and the projected outcome once the ocean temps warmed. Its surreal to watch it play out and also beyond frustrating as the science has been there a long long time. Too bad they took down Nick Teslas free electricity project back in the day.

Im sure folks dont want to hear this in this thread, but thats kinda the problem.
Hopes and prayers arent gonna cut it. We have to start facing and discussing things that make us uncomfortable. If you get depressed about it all, go volunteer somewhere. Plant some food. It helps.

Yellow
Guest
Yellow
5 years ago

Soon there will be a huge army of fire fighters to fight all the fires in the Nation they will be the National Fire Army they will be trained and deployed just like the military.

Ice
Guest
Ice
5 years ago
Reply to  Yellow

That would be nice but not gonna happen. Trump cut funding to all wildland fire agencies. BLM, USFS, NPS, BIA, and FWS…no money for more firefighters…

THC
Guest
THC
5 years ago
Reply to  Yellow

They should already be working more closely together. They utilize a lot of the same equipment which can be retrofitted quite quickly. C-130 Pilots are already trained for low altitude cargo drops, it wouldn’t take much to teach them how to drop fire retardant instead and they have pods that they directly insert into the back of the aircraft, makeing them fire fighting craft which could be done quite quickly. There are also several 747 that are already rigged for fighting fires but aren’t allowed to be used.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/worlds-largest-firefighting-aircraft-grounded-by-u-s-govt/

https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104558/modular-airborne-fire-fighting-system/

Silverlining
Guest
Silverlining
5 years ago
Reply to  THC

Sometimes they can’t fly if they can’t see through the smoke.

Al
Guest
Al
5 years ago
Reply to  Yellow

Yellow, if somebody petitioned for it, probably a lot of people would sign it.

THC
Guest
THC
5 years ago

This is horrible.. To everyone with a fire in they fire place right now,please pay attention to this. Just because it cold dosent mean it’s safe to have a fire. This could easily happen to you, your house and your neighbor’s.

Al
Guest
Al
5 years ago

Good thing that could never happen in Humboldt, because of the moisture here,
right?

Ice
Guest
Ice
5 years ago
Reply to  Al

It has happened here. Look up the Luffenholz fire. Burned from Trinidad to Blue Lake. Wiped out entire towns…

Ullr rover
Guest
Ullr rover
5 years ago
Reply to  Ice

Impossible. That was way before Al Gore.

wildman
Guest
wildman
5 years ago
Reply to  Ice

The Luffenholz fire burned through cut over land and was mainly aided by massive amounts of logging slash and 60+ mile per hour winds. Had the original forests still been standing the fire would have done little damage.

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  wildman

it was also intentional and started on the little river railroad grade.

Beesafe
Guest
Beesafe
5 years ago

We have a brother evacuated from Magalia. Kim, you have the best information and maps. We’ve been scouring the news for maps and current info for 24 hrs and you are awesome. Thank you for what you do.

tm
Guest
tm
5 years ago

The fires are different now. How to build fire proof housing should become a priority, stick buildt housing and log cabins doesn’t seem like the best option nowadays, especially in forests devastated by drought and pine beetles.

Dave Kahan
Guest
Dave Kahan
5 years ago
Reply to  tm

I believe you’re on the right track, tm. Building materials are crucial, but just one variable in the equation for fire safety. Last year near Calistoga I saw homes with metal roofs AND stucco walls that burned. Some detail was left unaddressed. For example, in one case (highly volatile) juniper was planted under the eaves, which likely brought flames underneath the metal roof. So the materials are important but so also are siting, design, construction techniques, and how the home is lived in (firewood under the deck, etc). The vast majority of homes that burn in wildfires ignite from windblown embers. I like to think of it as an analogy to Greek mythology. Imagine windblown embers as a hail of arrows. All it takes is one to find Achilles’ heel, and we’ve got a house ignited.
Here is an excellent paper that explains how to fire harden a building: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8393.pdf
It’s comprehensiveness and clarity are outstanding. Fire hardening a home involves a lot of little details, but it is doable. Not only that, but it is empowering to consider that homeowners have the ability to help themselves and hugely mitigate the risks.
Combine a fire hardened house with defensible space around it, and you have a recipe for survival and success. The defensible space reduces the intensity and rate of spread of the fire as it approaches the home. This allows suppression personnel the OPTION of trying to defend the home (they will not deploy their people if it seems to be a deathtrap). Also defensible space works in reverse, helping keep a house fire from spreading through the neighborhood. In addition, treating the fuels along the access route improves the safety of the escape route for both residents and firefighters. If things get sketchy, a safer escape route will keep the suppression personnel with the home defense longer if they’re considering bailing out. This is my favorite publication about defensible space:
https://srcity.org/DocumentCenter/View/4776
Ironically, the latter was written for the Sonoma area that burned last autumn, and warned of what recently occurred.

Thx DK
Guest
Thx DK
5 years ago
Reply to  Dave Kahan

Thank you Dave!!
Just fyi if you dont know, Dave is one of the most respected tree fallers around. He is well known in the fire community for his work on fire lines statewide. So he knows what he’s talking about after working who knows how many fires.

CanYouSmellThat?
Guest
CanYouSmellThat?
5 years ago
Reply to  Dave Kahan

Dave Kahan,
You rock! This is excellent, practical, constructive information. Very empowering.

wildman
Guest
wildman
5 years ago
Reply to  tm

Couldn’t agree more tm. The day of the wood home in areas with fire hazards is outdated. There are many other ways to build, materials to use. Stone, hay bale, metal, rammed earth (especially using old tires killing two birds with one stone), hempcrete, etc etc. It would also keep alot of the carbon stored in our forests were it is, on earth, for hundreds and thousands of years, and not back up into the atmosphere.

2cents+1
Guest
2cents+1
5 years ago

Please look up pay it forward humboldt for opportunities to help those affected by the fire. I highly recommend volunteering with them as needed, they are from the ❤ and on top of it. Just like our amazing kym!

Lets all take time to get emergency kits and plans together, and plan for potential cel and wifi outage within that. Pack a watch! Get an emergency radio, solar charging pack for phones etc and look into the things firefighters use if they get trapped in a fire, its sad but true you gotta plan in case you get trapped.
Thanks to all organizing to help on the ground, please let us know what our neighbors in Butte county can most use right now. Could we pay for some food trucks to go to shelters and feed for free? It looks like most of the places to get food are gone.

The facebook link is really long kym, delete it if its too much….
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2006274566339634&id=1478092709157825&_ft_=mf_story_key.2006274566339634%3Atop_level_post_id.2006274566339634%3Atl_objid.2006274566339634%3Acontent_owner_id_new.1478092709157825%3Athrowback_story_fbid.2006274566339634%3Apage_id.1478092709157825%3Aphoto_id.2006274209673003%3Astory_location.4%3Astory_attachment_style.photo%3Apage_insights.%7B%221478092709157825%22%3A%7B%22role%22%3A1%2C%22page_id%22%3A1478092709157825%2C%22post_context%22%3A%7B%22story_fbid%22%3A2006274566339634%2C%22publish_time%22%3A1541776480%2C%22story_name%22%3A%22EntStatusCreationStory%22%2C%22object_fbtype%22%3A266%7D%2C%22actor_id%22%3A1478092709157825%2C%22psn%22%3A%22EntStatusCreationStory%22%2C%22sl%22%3A4%2C%22dm%22%3A%7B%22isShare%22%3A0%2C%22originalPostOwnerID%22%3A0%7D%2C%22targets%22%3A%5B%7B%22page_id%22%3A1478092709157825%2C%22actor_id%22%3A1478092709157825%2C%22role%22%3A1%2C%22post_id%22%3A2006274566339634%2C%22share_id%22%3A0%7D%5D%7D%7D&__tn__=%2As%2As-R

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  2cents+1

I used Bitly.com to shorten the URL. Thanks for posting this!
https://bit.ly/2OBhoIy

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  2cents+1

👍🏾👍🏾

Ullr rover
Guest
Ullr rover
5 years ago

3 million acres in 2 days!!!!

The Great Fire of 1910 (also commonly referred to as the Big Blowup, the Big Burn, or the Devil’s Broom fire) was a wildfire in the western United States that burned three million acres (4,700 sq mi; 12,100 km2) in North Idaho and Western Montana, with extensions into Eastern Washington and Southeast British Columbia, in the summer of 1910.[1] The area burned included large parts of the Bitterroot, Cabinet, Clearwater, Coeur d’Alene, Flathead, Kaniksu, Kootenai, Lewis and Clark, Lolo, and St. Joe National Forests.

The fire burned over two days, August 20–21, after strong winds caused numerous smaller fires to combine into a firestorm of unprecedented size. It killed 87 people,[2] mostly firefighters,[3][4] and destroyed numerous manmade structures, including several entire towns. It is believed to be the largest, although not the deadliest, forest fire in U.S. history.[5] The extensive burned area was approximately the size of the state of Connecticut.

In the aftermath of the fire, the U.S. Forest Service received considerable recognition for its firefighting efforts. The outcome was to highlight firefighters as public heroes while raising public awareness of national nature conservation. The fire is often considered a significant impetus in the development of early wildfire prevention and suppression strategies.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_1910

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Ullr rover

That was huge! Shame on us for using fossil fuels today or that could have been prevented way back then!

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

geema neema, we’re between a rock and a hard place.

Lots of fires
Guest
Lots of fires
5 years ago

12 active fires in CA.
1. #NatchezFire [Del Norte]
2. #LostFire
3. #AlderFire, #MountaineerFire, and #MosesFire
4. #RinconFire
5. #EdenFire
6. #NurseFire
7. #WoolseyFire
8. #HillFire
9. #BrushyFire
10. #CampFire
11. #HornFire
12. #NatchezFire [Butte County]

If you see anyone starting a burn pile thro water on it who cares what cdf says they should have never lifted the burn ban here!!!!

Scooter
Guest
Scooter
5 years ago

Just remember; our commander in chief says this is normal. There is no such thing as climate change. Its all because the hippies wont let us log. People are dying, communities are destroyed and Fat Joffrey wont do anything to prevent it. He is probably already trying to blame this on water being allowed to flow to the sea. 80,000 acres in 24 hours is not normal, but lets all help out the coal miners, and the gas companies, and fuck renewables.

Geoffrey davis
Guest
Geoffrey davis
5 years ago

We Really need a fire siren alert system…. huge broadcast speakers. one that could warn… what the hell does it take to get a huge siren.. the power goes out in these disasters and people all depend on their computers and phone that dont work when cell towers burn , batteries run out……Santa rosa could biurn again and ille bet there is no ealy warning system intact

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Geoffrey davis

I think we should have – no, CBD isn’t right – umm – oh – short wave radios.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Five fatalities reported so far. Corning has more traffic and no sun, but no smoke problems. Rolling Hills Casino is taking people but they’re probably filled up. With no sun, we’re about 10 degrees cooler than Red Bluff (20 miles north).

Really?
Guest
Really?
5 years ago

Uh to those questioning kyms fact based/up to date reporting, look in the comment section from previous fire articles this year and last. Youll see that folks in lake, mendo, and sonoma/napa were using kyms site as it was the most up to date and helpful.

We’re spoiled here with our local news reporters who will focus on local/community events above state/national. I very much appreciate that kym considers all of our neighboring true nor cal counties as our neighbors and reports on fires there like they were happening here.
Personally i think the way kym breaks down the info from calfire etc is very user friendly and sums up the important points&calfire ought to use her style for press releases to the public.
Many thanks kym!

trackback

[…] Paradise Lost: Camp Fire in Butte County Destroys a Town and Threatens More (Maps, Photos, Video) &#… __________________ lie and get by, or comply and die…….. […]

Small Fry
Guest
Small Fry
5 years ago

So entirely sad! My heart goes out to the people of Butte county right now! Time to stop ignoring the facts climate change is real, and is a bigger enemy to the US, than any foreign government. Seriously we are our own worst enemy. I really hope the fire fighters can get this fire contained! Shout out to the fine people putting their lives on the line, and taking the time and energy to fight this blaze! Hoping for more Rain! More Water!

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

shak @ 12:22,

You’ll really like this video – very enlightening.

The American Media and the 2nd Assassination of John F Kennedy
The Same Exact Powers Aligned Against Trump – John Barbour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyIgi7uacyI&feature=em-uploademail 1:02:45 November 8

Shak
Guest
Shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Thanks for the link HumCo! Sean is one of my favorites, he never fails to deliver. Every topic they covered in your link has been the main focus of all the citizen journalists, investigators, awakened, good guys of the law enforcement, and others for years. But ever since last Nov, or a little bit earlier, the deep divers have been seriously going gung ho. It was great to hear someone as knowledgeable as his guest confirm the research.
The elections this Nov are being heavily scrutinized to the point it looks like we’ll be having some do-over’s and arrests. No more wrist slapping, is the word.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

BUTTE COUNTY (CBS SF) – In just 24 hours, the disastrous Camp Fire in Northern California has burned at the rate of almost an acre per second and scorched an area more than twice the size of San Francisco.

As of Friday Morning, the wildfire in Butte County has scorched 70,000 acres (109.38 square miles) since it was first reported around 6:30 a.m. Thursday. The area burned is more than 2.3 times the size of San Francisco (47 square miles).

Shel
Guest
Shel
5 years ago

What was ever the cause of Redding burning?
What started the fire near/ in Paradise?

Errrgh
Guest
Errrgh
5 years ago

PGE who should have turned power off to the Paradise area. They issued some one paragraph release saying they showed a problem just outside Paradise 15 mins before fire reported.
We need a choice in our electrical companies, the new renewable energy company leases the lines from pge so youre still paying them. I hate paying them bcuz i think of the fires and explosions theyve caused. And continue too. I hate seeing their big newspaper ads about how much they care, i say stop pouring money into your image publicly and put the money into equipment upgrades or whatever you need to do to stop creating these disasters and causing ridiculous amounts of pain and grief to not only people&pets but all animals and the wild ecosystems.

Redding carr fire was chain drag or tire rim spark into tall dry grass that was right up against the highway.

N. Davis
Guest
N. Davis
5 years ago
Reply to  Errrgh

Your exactly right. Theres a website that shows PGE internal communication rptg the details of a “transmission” problem originated within a few minutes of the Pulgas? location of the fire’s origination that destroyed the entire town & community of Paradise. This rpt was shared with the CA CPU; its in the transmission communication details, too. Expect a huge class-action out of this one in near future.

This is another preventable shit-storm, like so many others before, caused directly by PGE to maintain equipment. PGE should be ordered to bury all transmission lines in all the forested areas they built them in! Global warming a factor too.
Do we continue to allow PGE to cause naural disasters that are totally preventable in meantime?
1. Find PGE’s communication…simple search. Verify.
2. Contact yr local, state, fed officials & scream at them to direct PUC to FORCE PGE to make changes NOW!
3. Return to community mtgs prepared to discuss REAL issues here, not just global warming politico-debates, or what the uniformed, or manipulators want you to know. Data-mine. Dig. Research. Its all online. If I can stumble across PGEs communication, so can you.

Someone needs to post PGEs’ doc here too, asap..and save it to their hard drive; but share it w/local, national news media 1st.

tqm
Guest
tqm
5 years ago

Climate chaos. I think if we quit burning fossil fuels it might help slow the global warming down.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  tqm

Climate chaos
Fossil fuels, and
Global warming
Is there an echo in here?

“In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt.

As far as building material goes – it’s a real stumper.
If you put ‘Hemp Industrial Solutions’ in a Youtube search, you can scroll for days on the selections. Couldn’t find the 30 min. one i have from July -dang.

Really
Guest
Really
5 years ago

While this is a devastating fire year, there have been worse-
“The Great Fire of 1910, also occasionally referred to as the “Big Burn,” is believed to be the largest single fire in recorded U.S. history. It burned more than 3 million acres in Idaho, Montana and Washington — in all, a total area roughly the size of Connecticut. There were 87 fatalities from the fire and 78 of those were firefighters.”
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/10-of-the-worst-wildfires-in-us-history

There has been so much building into formerly all wildlands in the last 60 years, that the opportunity for destruction has skyrocketed.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

I’m so brokenhearted in tears over this. About a hundred years ago, my sister was Miss Butte County. Lived in Paradise. Later, sister and husband lived in Chico. Parents have passed and my sister and hubby live in Idaho now.

Really, i too looked at past records of forest fires, and felt a little bit better. However, we’re living in the 21st century . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I_5E9jIs5A&t=384s 8 mins. August 2018

kim
Guest
kim
5 years ago

There is a plan and we the people are not included.
Agenda 21, or stopthecrime.net., has a plausible theory. DEW’s.
Santa Rosa, Redding, same . How can trees not burn, but cars melted?
We are being played.

Groovatron
Guest
Groovatron
5 years ago

Geoengineering creates a highly flammable fire potential, and a leading cause of climate change.
Check out Deborah Tavares youtube channel “Stop the crime” video “The plan to burn up northern California”. if you want a clear understanding of why/how these fires have accelerated. Stopthecrime.net.