Trouble in Paradise
posted by Nieema Williams | December 5, 2018 | In NewsA state of emergency has been declared for California and thousands of residents who live there as a string of wildfires disrupted and endangered their lives. Primarily affecting the city of Paradise, the four major fires; Camp –Butte County, Nurse –Solano County, Hill – Ventura County & Woolsey – Los Angeles, Ventura, are still burning. The smoke and fumes radiating from the fires make living impossible and unsafe for those who have not been directly affected.
The deadliest of all the fires has been Camp, which has completely destroyed the town of Paradise. Paradise is a town dating back as far as 1877. Located in Butte County, California in the foothills of Sierra Nevada and above the Sacramento Valley. It is a quiet place, mostly inhibited by retirees and those looking to settle in a place for the remainder of their years. Its name derived from the simple fact that it is a peaceful place to live.
With temperatures high enough to melt metal, it has been exceedingly difficult to find bodies. The ground is so charred that rescue dogs aren’t able to sniff out any possible survivors either. According to CNN, there have been continuous efforts and attempts to rescue people and animals trapped in the flames. And unfortunately, the fatality rate keeps rising. As of December 2, there has been 90 counted deaths and at least 100 missing persons reports. The fast moving Camp Fire destroyed the entire town including 7,177 structures. 6,435 of them being homes. This is an overwhelming situation for the residents of paradise.
Firefighters, first-responders, Emergency medical teams, & police officers have been working non-stop to control, treat and aide those who need it. Fighting fires in California is no easy task. Their extremely dry climate and coastal winds make it almost impossible if the first flames aren’t caught immediately. With a forecast of no rain anytime soon, residents of California are not out of the woods yet.
Questions surrounding this disaster are those of recovery, repair and replacement. How long will recovery take? Will there be anything left to repair? How do citizens begin to replace all that was lost both tangible and intangible?
As The New York Times wrote: “Wildfires don’t care about wealth or status.” If you are in its way, you can become a victim. This is the lesson resounding throughout the L.A. and Malibu areas that border the Paradise Community. The Woolsey fire of Southern California has destroyed the homes of Miley Cyrus, Neil Young, Robin Thicke, Gerald Butler and Shannen Doherty. Many celebrities have taken to social media to post and raise awareness of their personal disaster and loss. Those who weren’t directly affected are using their platform to solicit relief.
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