Follow KQED’s ongoing wildfire coverage.
Updated Wednesday, Dec. 12
The latest updates on the Camp Fire in Butte County:
Acreage and containment: On Nov. 25, Cal Fire said the fire had consumed 153,336 acres — an area larger than Chicago — and was 100 percent contained.
Casualties: Officials have confirmed the deaths of 85 people. So far, Butte County authorities have released the names of 47 of those who died, and at least another 11 have been confirmed as having perished by family members in news accounts. See the current list at the bottom of this post.
Cal Fire said five firefighters were injured fighting the blaze, including two inmate firefighters.
Damage update: Cal Fire currently estimates the fire has destroyed 18,793 structures, including 13,696 single residences, primarily in and around Paradise, a town of 27,000 in the foothills east of Chico. That makes the Camp Fire the most destructive fire in terms of structures destroyed in recorded state history, surpassing last year’s Tubbs Fire, which destroyed 5,636 structures and killed 22 people.
Butte County, the town of Paradise and Cal Fire have teamed up to develop a variety of interactive maps to provide evacuation area information and assist property owners in determining the status of their property.
Cal Fire also created an interactive map where you can search for damaged and destroyed structures. However, damage inspection is still ongoing and subject to change.
Missing persons: The Butte County Sheriff’s Office has been releasing an updated list of missing persons in an effort to locate individuals. Last Friday evening, the missing sharply dropped to 49. By Wednesday night, Dec. 5, the list had dropped to 10.
The Sheriff’s Office has requested those who left the area safely to register on the Red Cross Safe and Well site.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office continues to staff its Missing Persons Call Center from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Officials are asking people to report missing persons to this call center, even if they have already reported them missing to authorities. They are also asking people to call if they have located a previously reported missing person. The numbers are:
- 530-538-6570
- 530-538-7544
- 530-538-7671
Evacuation orders: The Butte County Sheriff’s Office has continued to downgrade and lift evacuation orders and warnings. There are still numerous mandatory evacuation orders in place in the fire area. Those orders are frequently updated on the sheriff’s Twitter and Facebook feeds, as well as the official Butte County website. Roughly 52,000 people have evacuated.
Cal Fire has created an online interactive evacuation map, but cautions residents to refer to local law enforcement for current notices. Though the data are updated as often as possible, it might not provide the latest information. Cal Fire is also issuing incident updates, which includes a comprehensive list of evacuation zones, at least twice a day. You can find the update on Cal Fire’s Camp Fire incident page or sign up for automatic email updates.
The Chico Fire Department and Chico Police Department are also issuing Twitter advisories.
Emergency shelters: Below is a list/map of Red Cross emergency shelters in the region. Butte County and the American Red Cross have begun consolidating shelters. All shelter sites will begin moving occupants to the Butte County Fairgrounds.
- OPEN: Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, 2357 Fair Street in Chico
Shelters in Transition:
- Butte County Fairgrounds, 199 E Hazel St., Gridley
- Glenn County Fairgrounds, 221 E Yolo St., Orland
- Oroville Nazarene Church, 2238 Monte Vista Ave., Oroville
- Evacuees camping near Walmart
Animal shelters:
- Small animals: Del Oro Old County Hospital, 2279 Del Oro Ave., Oroville
- Small animals: Chico Municipal Airport, 150 Airpark Blvd., Chico
- Small animals: Humane Society of the United States, 1210 Richvale Highway, Richvale
- Large animals: Butte County Fairgrounds, 199 East Hazel St., Gridley
- People can report lost pets to North Valley Animal Disaster Group at 530-895-0000
Recovery Services: A Disaster Recovery Center has been set up at 1982 E 20th St. in Chico where those affected by the fire can access resources 9 a.m.-7 p.m. each day. People can register for disaster assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362.
Paradise and Butte County have set up a website to provide residents affected by the Camp Fire a one-stop shop for information and resources for the recovery effort: buttecountyrecovers.org.
Water advisory: Water boil advisories are in place for customers of the following water districts/systems:
- Paradise Irrigation District
- Berry Creek School
- Forest Knolls water system
- Crain Park
The following areas are no longer under water boil notices:
- Big Bend Mobile Home Park
- Blue Oak Terrace Mutual Water System
- Del Oro Water Company – Buzztail
- Del Oro Water Company – Lime Saddle
- Del Oro Water Company – Magalia
- Del Oro Water Company – Paradise Pines
- Del Oro Water Company – Stirling Bluffs
- Foothill Solar Community
- Forest Ranch Charter School
- Forest Ranch Mutual Water Company
- Forest Ranch Mobile Home Park
- Gran Mutual Water Company
- Humboldt Woodlands Mutual Water Company
- Meadowbrook Oaks Mobile Home Park
- Mountain Village Homeowner’s Association
Residents in these service areas are being advised to flush their taps for five to 10 minutes after returning home.
How to help: Experts say financial contributions are the best way to help people affected by the fires. For a list of organizations accepting donations and more information on other ways to help, click here.