Camp Fire: 81 Dead, Hundreds Missing, More Evacuations Lifted

BUTTE COUNTY, CA – The number of people found dead in the Camp Fire in Northern California continues to climb as firefighters make progress on containing the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history.

Officials said they discovered the remains of two more people on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 81. Both victims were found in the town of Paradise, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office.

Of the 81 victims, authorities have tentatively identified 56. The number of unaccounted for people increased by 171 and currently stands at 870, according to the sheriff's office. The increase was due to a backlog of voicemails. (Click here to see the Camp Fire Missing Persons List.)

The wind-whipped wildfire sparked Nov. 8 off Camp Creek and Pulga roads near Highway 70 in the Feather River Canyon, according to Cal Fire. The rapidly-spreading blaze ripped through the small town of Paradise and surrounding communities in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Butte County.

As of Wednesday, the Camp Fire has scorched 153,336 acres and destroyed more than 18,000 structures, most of them homes.

A total of 13,503 single-family homes were destroyed in the blaze, in addition to 275 multiple-family residences, 514 businesses and 4,129 minor structures, according to Cal Fire. An additional 570 structures were damaged and another 5,100 remain threatened. (Click here to see the Camp Fire Structure Status map.)

Thousands of firefighters have continued to strengthen and improve the containment lines of the fire, which was 80 percent contained Wednesday morning.

The fire forced 52,000 people to evacuate, officials said. Many evacuation orders and all evacuation warnings have been lifted. Still, some evacuation orders remain in place for residents in the region. (See the full list of evacuation orders and warnings below. Click here to see the Camp Fire Evacuation/Repopulation Map.)

Sheriff's officials advised residents returning to their homes to be aware the areas have very limited resources. Residents are encouraged to take steps to ensure they have food, water and fuel for their vehicles prior to returning home.

With rain forecast for the region, the National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the area of the Camp Fire from Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning. Properties impacted by the wildfire, and downstream of those areas, are at risk for flash flooding, mudflows and debris flows during periods of intense rainfall, officials said.

A Camp Fire Disaster Recovery Center has opened at the former Sears store at the Chico Mall at 1982 E. 20th St. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Butte Regional Transit is providing free, round-trip transportation for people impacted by the fire between several shelter locations and the Disaster Recovery Center. (Click here to see the schedule.)

Residents and business owners impacted by the fire can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). (Click here to see the Camp Fire Structure Status map.)

The cause of the Camp Fire remains under investigation. The blaze is expected to be fully contained by Nov. 30, Cal Fire officials said.

*Updated as of Wednesday, Nov. 21:

Evacuation Orders

• Nimshew Zone C
• South Coutelenc Zone
• South Pines Zone
• Old Magalia Zone
• Lower Pentz Zone
• Morgan Ridge Zone A
• Morgan Ridge Zone B
• Concow Zone A
• Concow Zone B
• Concow Zone C
• Yankee Hill
• Berry Creek Zone B (within fire perimeter)
• Stirling Zone (within fire perimeter)
• Lovelock Zone (within fire perimeter)
• North Coutolenc Zone (within fire perimeter)
• North Fir Haven Zone (within fire perimeter)
• South Fir Haven Zone (within fire perimeter)
• North Pines Zone (within fire perimeter)
• Messilla Valley Zone B (within fire perimeter)
• Cherokee Zone B (within fire perimeter)
• Zones 1-14

Click here to see the Camp Fire Evacuation/Repopulation Map.

Evacuation Shelters

Open Shelters:

• Butte County Fairgrounds at 199 E. Hazel St. in Gridley
• Glenn County Fairgrounds at 221 E. Yolo St. in Orland

Full/Closed Shelters:

• Bidwell Junior High School at 2376 North Ave. in Chico
• Neighborhood Church of Chico at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd. in Chico
• Oroville Church of the Nazarene at 2238 Monte Vista Ave. in Oroville
• Plumas County Fairgrounds at 204 Fairground Road in Quincy
• Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds at 442 Franklin Ave. in Yuba City

Animal Shelters

Residents can contact North Valley Animal Disaster Group at 530-895-0000 to report lost pets. Visit www.campfirerescuedanimals.com to find lost pets.

Small animals can be taken to:

• Chico Municipal Airport at 150 Airpark Blvd. in Chico

Large animals can be taken to:

• Butte County Fairgrounds at 199 E. Hazel St. in Gridley

Small and large animals can be taken to:

• Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds at 442 Franklin Ave. in Yuba City

Closures

• All Butte County public schools have been closed through Friday, Nov. 23.
• Classes at Chico State have been canceled until Monday, Nov. 26.
• Plumas National Forest Area Road, Trail and Area Closure

Road Closures

Roads remain closed at the following locations:

• P-Line at Retson
• Doon Grade Road at Coutolenc Road
• Fallen Leaf at Northwood
• Northwood Road at Rosewood Drive
• Dogtown (Upper) at Cedarpark Drive
• Wycliff at Stonehill Court
• Skyway just south of Ehrich Court
• Cumberland Road at Oberland Court
• Nimshew Road at Ponderosa Way
• Nimshew at Centerville Road
• Centerville Road at Bean Flat Road
• Honey Run Road at Merlin Lane
• Skyway at Crossroads
• Neal Road at Wayland Road/Red Sky
• Wayland at Foster Road
• Pentz Road at Messilla Valley Road
• Red Tape Road at Condor Road
• Cherokee at Rocky Top Road
• SR-162 at French Creek/Stephens Creek Road
• SR-162 at Four Mile Ridge Road
• SR-70 at West Branch Bridge
• SR-191 (Clark Road) at Round Valley Ranch Road
• Encina Grande at Choc Taw Ridge Road
• Crystal Pines at Cherokee
• Vinton Gulch at Cherokee

How To Help

The Butte County Office of Education has established the Schools Fire Relief Fund to help schools impacted by the Camp Fire.

The North Valley Community Foundation has established the Northern California Fire Relief Fund to help community organizations serving those affected by the fire.

People can also click here to donate to the United Way of Northern California Camp Fire Fund by texting "Butte Fire" to 91999.

Brand new clothing can be dropped off at 2850 Feather River Blvd. in Oroville.

Supplies

People can pick-up supplies at the Oroville Municipal Auditorium at 1200 Myers St. in Oroville. Clothing, pet goods and small appliances are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

United Way of Northern California is accepting applications for emergency cash assistance from those who lost their homes in the Camp Fire. These will be one-time grants designed to help with urgent basic necessities such as food, gas and clothing. Amounts given will depend on need and available resources. UWNC cannot guarantee that all applicants will receive funding.

Volunteering

An emergency volunteer center was opened at Caring Choices at 1398 Ridgewood Drive in Chico. People interested in volunteering can call 530-899-3873 or download a volunteer application at www.caring-choices.org.

Previous Coverage:

• Camp Fire: Death Toll Climbs To 79, Containment Grows To 70%
• Camp Fire: Death Toll Climbs Again In Devastating California Blaze
• 71 Now Confirmed Dead In Paradise Fire; Trump Expected
• Death Toll Climbs To 63 In Camp Fire, 631 Unaccounted For
• 56 Dead In Camp Fire In Butte County, Toll Expected To Rise
• Camp Fire: Deadliest, Most Destructive Wildfire In CA History
• 42 Dead In Camp Fire: The Deadliest Wildfire In CA History
• Camp Fire: Death Toll Climbs To 29, Erratic Winds To Continue
• Camp Fire: 23 Dead, No Imminent Threat To Oroville
• Camp Fire: 9 Dead, 6,700 Structures Destroyed In Butte County
• Camp Fire Rages In Butte County, Prompts Evacuations

Also See:

• Top 20 Deadliest, Most Destructive Wildfires In CA History
• Trump Surveys Wildfire Devastation In California
• Camp Fire: List Of Properties Destroyed In Paradise Released
• Camp Fire Survivor Says 'Paradise May Just Be Memory'
• 'It's Something' Says Camp Fire Victim After Finding Wedding Ring
• Camp Fire: Mother 'Dragged' To Safety After Giving Birth To Baby
• Garbage Collector Rescues Woman, 93, From Deadly Camp Fire
• Officers Lose Homes In Camp Fire While Helping Evacuees
• Horse Hides In Pool As Camp Fire Scorches Through Paradise
• How To Help Victims Of California Wildfires