Note from Russ on Paradise and the Camp Fire

So glad to read that you have escaped the catastrophe. Hope you and your familiy will recover from all you had to go through soon.

Oh my word Russ! Thank you so much for letting us know you and your family are safe. What a harrowing and heartbreaking experience.

There are several amazing stories there. We are so glad to hear you and your family are OK, and reunited. Thank you for taking the time to post.

Russ, it's great to hear that you and yours are safe! Have been keeping up with news in from your part of the world and hoping for the best for all the folks in a terrible situation. Lots of very, very scary videos out there.... Hope the winds calm as predicted today to help the firefighters gain some ground.

Very good to hear, Russ.

So glad to hear that you and your family are safe! We are monitoring friends’ needs in Northern and Southern California this week. Thank you for checking in with all of us to let us know you are now out of harms way.

Thank you Russ, I was thinking of you early Thursday morning and hoping you were ok. My sister and brother-in-law live (d) in Paradise and it was harrowing. Took them 9 hrs to drive the 15 mi from Paradise to Chico on the Skyway. You were smart to go east instead.

I understand the Chico Goodwill is giving out $75 in clothes today to anyone with a Paradise address on their ID in case that’s of any help to anyone you know.

Glad to know you and yours are safe and
have somewhere to stay. Take care and I look forward to your posts when you’re able. Good Wishes to you.

Thank goodness you are safe! Harrowing story! You were prepared, which all of us who live in forested areas must be.

Glad you and your connections are safe.

I would say that your DW has earned a few extra stars in her heavenly crown!

Russ, thank you for taking the time during this harrowing experience to let us know you & your family are safe. We are watching the news, but hearing the personal stories like yours brings hope in this difficult time.

** Edit: Recent report from my home State of WA. that 100 firefighters were headed to CA. to help in the efforts.

Thank you for sharing. Keep us up to date when you can.

Good to hear yo made it out OK and your circle is safe. Please take care.

Oh my goodness! Thank you for posting, and my heart goes out to your family and your entire community.
Please let us know of any particular targeted organizations to donate to.

My heart goes out to you, Russ, and your loved ones. Such a serious situation for all who live and work there, as well as the valiant firefighters and rescue workers.

I'm so glad to hear from you Russ, thanks for relating your survival... I'm very glad you and family are well.

Keep plugging away....
We'll wait for an update

Glad to hear you are safe and your family too. Thanks for taking time to let us know how you are.
So sad seeing the devastation and loss of homes as well as lives.

Glad to know you're all right. I've been following the news on this fire, now reported as the worst in CA history. It has affected the air quality in SF 150 miles away. I'm sure you've seen that on the news too.

Russ,
I also thank you for taking the time to post. We all watch these large events on TV, and while it could be easy to grow numb to it all, each time I realize very real people (like you) are experiencing the shock, loss, and (then) recovery. What a true blessing you and yours were able to get out safely. And, yes, cheers to the first responders, with hopes that their families are all safe, too.

Tennessee just had multiple tornadoes a couple of days ago. The packing up routine, ready for the dash to the basement, has become all too common.

I keep wondering WHERE on earth would be a totally safe place to live.

Russ, I hope the coming months and years will bring much better times to you and yours.

So glad you are safe. Oregon firefighters are on the way...California helped us when we needed it most, we've got your back. Take good care of you and yours.

Russ, Thank you for taking the extraordinary time and energy to write all of us on the Forum. We were thinking of you and will continue to do so. We're relieved you and loved ones are safe. Now the rebuilding in more ways than one Bets

Great to hear, our first responders and firefighters ROCK!!!👏🏻👏🏻

I'm adding my thanks to you for taking your time to let us know all is as ok with you and your precious family as it can be. Is there anything we can do to help you-or anyone during this terrible and frightening time? I think I saw one of our Colorado Hotshot crews has joined the battle. I evacuated from a Colorado wildfire a few years ago; knowing what a terrifying experience it is, my thoughts and prayers are with you and all those threatened in Northern and Southern California.

Glad to hear you are safe. Harrowing experience. My thoughts are with you.

Russ,

It's wonderful to hear that you and your family (and the cat) are safe. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone there.

Sunday morning, pre-dawn: I managed 5 hrs of shut-eye - not that much less than normal. 4 a.m. now, but I have a block of time to respond to all your thoughtfulness - thanks so much.

I/we are in good shape overall. But some Paradisians were leading hand-to-mouth lives before the fire. Some of you want to help... but I'm unsure what to say. There will be uncovered needs here for sure. Food needs for sure, for sure. Paradise's food bank served many of Paradise's needy population but is now rubble. Adventist Health's Meals on Wheels program is likely down for the time being - it operated from Feather River Hospital (which was heavily damaged) but their current phone number is down.

The disaffected "meth contingent" in this town will likely add to Chico's homeless - I expect them on streets and beneath underpasses there. Paradise's seniors (65% of residents are 65+ years old!) will generally have resources (but not all.) Those in Paradise's numerous convalescent homes and assisted living facilities were transferred to other locations and will be cared for as before. But some I know are fixed-income renters (which means steadily declining incomes) or homeowners of older mobile homes or 1940's 1-bedroom bungalows (many such places in Paradise.) These folks were already living on the edge and may have lapsed insurance policies or polices that are insufficient for moving expenses and future housing expenses in today's inflated market. And Paradise's business owners and in-town employees just got their clocks cleaned. One restaurant just rebuilt and re-opened after a kitchen fire but is now a pile of ashes. Those that didn't burn now have no customers.

My daughter's excellent boyfriend is a local mechanic who until this week had been in 2-br rental in Paradise for a few years. 2 days before the Paradise blaze, he picked up keys to his new Chico rental. He's now of course relieved to have a place there, and physically he is fine. But like most mechanics, his entire livelihood hangs on the fate of his personal tools, the value of which is a six-digit number, and all of which are stored at one of Paradise's burned-but-still-standing auto shops. If he can't retrieve them intact, it's a life-altering blow. And of course, his shop will be out of operation for the foreseeable future, his able hands idle. And - unfortunately for him - before the fire, ALL of his personal belongings, except for a sofa/love seat set and a few kitchen needs, were put in storage in 2 separate Paradise locations whose fire fate is unknown :( Until the roads to Paradise open he has an agonizing wait to see what his future holds. (Right now both he and my daughter are with us in our 2nd home - outside Paradise.)

And then there's the 70+ year-old single woman from Oregon, the reason the BF moved to Chico... she bought his former Paradise rental as her personal home at the top of the market - her very first home purchase ever - and moved into her Paradise dream only one week before the disaster. My God, I feel for her.

Then there's my brother. His Magalia house is verified toast. He lost a pick-up, a 4wd Subaru, and maybe a sedan as well. But he'll be fine once he lands. He, his wife, a frail elderly neighbor lady, 4 dogs and 2 cats are all with one of our angelic Chico relatives for now. But this event is wreaking havoc on his mentally unstable wife.

So... maybe this gives you a look at a sort of typical family here. Some problems are unsolvable. But my 90+ year-old homeless in-laws, the BF, my sister-in-law, and a neighbor are all under someone's wing. Still - I'm certain that thousands of others are not so lucky. For now I suggest the Red Cross. Later, perhaps the Paradise food bank and the non-profit Feather River Hospital and m-o-w program.

Thanks again for all the support.

I should add also that emergency clothing and other supplies are being donated in such large quantities from local communities that the benevolent distributors of these goodies are overwhelmed. If you want to donate anything other than cash to a specific charitable organization, I suggest waiting a while until local government and organizations can better assess the evacuees needs and their current resources.

Thank you, Russ. Sad news but the information regarding how we can best help out all those affected and devastated by this is very much appreciated.

Thanks for the updates. So glad you are all(including your daughter's cat) safe.

Thank you so much for the updates. I've been watching the coverage of the fires, and I'm sending every type of good thought in California's direction.

Gawd, Russ. I feel for all who are displaced and especially those in reduced circumstances to begin with. Will see what we can do to contribute when methods are put in place. Any news on the Red Cross or similar stepping in?

Thanks so much for the addition information.
I live at the base of the Berkeley hills and the gusty winds and very low humidity today have me feeling very anxious. I was here in 1991 during our own disastrous urban fire that took over 3000 homes and dozens of lives.
It's a reminder that most of us, whatever our circumstances, are only a prayer away from calamity.
Please continue to let us know how you all are doing as you have time.

Glad to know that you and your family are safe. Your description of the situation is a call to action.

Hard to believe...it was such a beautiful community and a haven to those who just wanted to live a quiet life. I'm so sorry and do let us know how we can all help once things settle down a bit.

Most of the homes in town now look like my wife's family home (photo courtesy of the local authorities handling structural damage assessments.)

But the reason I'm posting this morning is that I just had to share with you the coolest moment yet in our town's absolutely hellish week...

Paradise High sports have always been huge in this little town, both in my own high-school years and in the lives of most local teens - especially football. I was in the stands 10 days ago when PHS (sadly) lost its final league game, landing in a 3-way tie for first place with the two Chico teams. The loss triggered a scheduled playoff game at home on Friday the 9th. Well, after the tragic fire of Nov. 8, that was just not going to happen. The tragic fire forced the team to concede its final match-up. The now-homeless senior players had to end their football season by giving up.

And then this happened.

Russ, I'm so happy that you and your family are safe. The story of what the 49ers did for the kids brought me to tears. It is always good to be reminded there is good in the world. My daughter has in-laws and a good friend has family in Paradise that lost everything, including the places they worked. How do people come back from this kind of devastation?

Firefighters from Washington, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas have arrived in California to help with our fires. Possibly more states have sent firefighters by this time. We are so grateful and it's a reminder that no matter where we live, we are all in this world together and should work together for the greater good.