Northern California Enters Second Month Under Fire Siege
For the residents of Paradise, east of Chico, July 12th looks almost exactly like June 12th.
Fire raging on their doorstep ... smoke darkening the skies ... first responders urging them to evacuate.
As the Siege of 2008 enters its second month, Paradise is still standing, thanks to the efforts of fire crews from throughout California and the nation. They are among the more than 20,000 firefighting personnel who continue to battle the elements and their own weary bones to protect our state.
Since the June 11th Humboldt Fire near Paradise, the more than 1,700 fires that have raged from Bakersfield to the Oregon border have consumed more than 750,000 acres. Nearly 250 structures have been destroyed, including 100 residences.
No citizens have lost their lives in the fires. Two firefighters have lost their lives in the midst of the struggle:
- Newport Beach Firefighter Kevin Pryor died of a brain aneurysm June 15th within 24 hours of returning from the Humboldt Fire;
- 63-year-old volunteer FF Robert Roland of Anderson Valley died July 3rd after suffering a heart attack while laying a hose line.
A number of firefighters have suffered injuries on the lines, none of them life-threatening.
UPDATE: GOVERNOR CALLS UP ANOTHER 2,000 NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS
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