After Paradise

Last week legislation was introduced to establish a statewide network of weather monitoring stations that would help assess the threat of wildfire in California. It was created by Senator Bill Dodd – a Democrat who represents both Sonoma and Napa counties that were devastated by the North Bay wildfires in 2017.

More than seventy cats meow in stacked cages as volunteers come around with breakfast. Most of them are survivors of the Camp Fire that tore through Paradise in November, causing 52,000 people to leave their homes — many of them without their pets. Now, some of the abandoned cats call the Alley Cat Allies/FieldHaven Recovery Center in Marysville home.

Friday is the deadline to get in many important Camp Fire related applications submitted. This includes registering for disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Association and the government sponsored Debris Removal Program.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday weighing urgent housing needs against long-term impacts. Read the full story here.

Tonight on After Paradise – it’s been 13 weeks since the Camp Fire started. We bring you more about a decision earlier this week to bar Paradise residents from returning to their fire damaged properties, we check in with an official from the Town of Paradise for the town’s latest updates, and we look to the City of Santa Rosa for insights on what the community may soon be facing in terms of homelessness. After the 2017 fires there, Sonoma County is seeing an increase in the number of people

In this post you’ll find the answers to all of your rebuilding questions. You can submit more, or ask questions about anything Camp Fire related on our website . All answers in this post are attributed to Town of Paradise Administrative Analyst and Public Information Officer Colette Curtis.

Perhaps those who could best estimate the real impact of the fire on homelessness are the people who provide direct services to those without shelter. NSPR has been checking in with local service providers over the past few weeks to find out what they’ve been experiencing in terms of people seeking resources. NSPR’s Sarah Bohannon spoke with Rick Narad, Shelter Operations Manager for Safe Space , which is a rotating winter shelter. She asked how this year’s shelter has been running with fewer

Impassioned discussions at Monday’s Town of Paradise council meeting weren’t the only to take place this week. Tuesday night’s Chico City Council meeting also got heated. One of the most contentious issues–homelessness.

The verdict to prohibit Paradise residents from returning to their fire damaged properties has thrown a wrench in the plans and spirits of many. At the time of this week’s camping ban announcement about 100 electrical permits had been granted to and paid for by returning residents. North State Public Radio’s Marc Albert spoke with Town of Paradise Administrative Analyst and Public Information Officer Colette Curtis about the scale of the issue and how the ban will be enforced.

This week started with a major setback for Camp Fire survivors, especially those planning on moving back to their burned-out properties, putting up tents or parking campers. But as of this week, they were told it’s not safe due to all the toxic debris. Now they have to leave again. NPR’s Kirk Siegler reports on residents’ reactions to the announcement and about a heated Town of Paradise council meeting that took place on Monday.