Camp Fire Devastates California Town, Forces Thousands to Evacuate
OutdoorHub Reporters 11.09.18
As the so-called Camp Fire devastates Northern California, social media has been flooded with apocalyptic scenes of smoke-filled skies and roadways lined with a blazing orange glow.
The wildfire in Butte County, just north of Sacramento, has already turned 20,000 acres to ashes, forcing roughly 50,000 people to evacuate.
Brynn Parrott Chatfield, a resident in the town of Paradise, was among the masses forced to flee their homes, and she captured this horrifying video of her family’s drive through the flames:
“I feel very vulnerable posting this but I feel I should,” Brynn Parrott Chatfield said in her Facebook post. “My hometown of Paradise is on fire. My family is evacuated and safe. Not all my friends are safe. It’s very surreal. Things always work out, but the unknown is a little scary.”
According to Cal Fire, more than 2,200 firefighters have been battling the Camp Fire, and there’s no real end in sight. . .
#Campfire [Update], Fire is at 1000 acres. Dozens of resources being called in from throughout the State. pic.twitter.com/5VpYRQhLcX
— CAL FIRE Butte Unit/Butte County Fire Department (@CALFIRE_ButteCo) November 8, 2018
The National Weather Service had predicted dangerous fire weather conditions in California due to Santa Ana winds, which blow in from the east and speed up along California’s north-to-south-oriented mountain slopes.
Look at the #CampFire smoke plume from this afternoons pass of the MODIS Satellite. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/b9SETrz3sa
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) November 9, 2018
Residents in the area also took to social media to share their views of the wildfire, and it’s downright terrifying:
#campfire from Fair street in Chico. My little heart is breaking for the Ridge. Stay safe Paradise and surrounding communities pic.twitter.com/wCXS7gE9dD
— jackie (@jackieglazerr) November 8, 2018
