Larissa Eldredge/Butte College/Camp Fire

"On Thursday November 8th my family and I were evacuated from our home in upper Magalia where I grew up.  I was on my way to work when I saw a plume of smoke so wide and so thick I first thought it was a huge dark storm cloud. Then I saw that it was billowing up from the canyon to the east, and very close to my neighborhood. I fueled up at the nearest gas station, returned home, and  packed the car with the immediate necessities including pets. My fiancé and I pulled my son from his elementary school classroom just before they started evacuating kids on school buses. (Thank goodness because some buses were caught in the fire and kids had to be pulled off the bus and put in the cars of passers by to get them to safety!).

I did not wait for an evacuation order. I took my family north and over to the next ridge and safely down into the valley town of Chico. Authorities were telling people to evacuate by going south via the main road through the town of Paradise. Those who did, had to drive through flames. Many did not make it out at all. Their vehicles were consumed by fire with them still inside. 

I spoke with a reporter from the Washington Post who had been allowed up to Paradise a few days after the blaze had torn through the town. He guesstimated that only 1 in every 10 buildings survived. The devastation is so great I simply cannot wrap my mind around it yet. I have lived in that town since I was in Preschool. Everything I remember about my hometown is gone. Paradise was a historic mining town. All of our historic landmarks have burned. 

The evacuation order has just been lifted for the area where my house (hopefully) stands. According to the Cal-Fire map the fire should have been diverted from my neighborhood about 5 blocks away. However, I have spoken with neighbors who's homes were in the same "safe" area as mine and still burned due to falling embers. I will not have confirmation until I can go check on the property for myself. I hope to be able to do that in the next few days. My car broke down yesterday and I need to get the clutch master cylinder replaced before I can drive anywhere.

I hope to be able to check on my house and get clothing, toys for my son, etc... but living up there is not an option just yet. The infrastructure needs to be rebuilt. I'm told the water is not potable, I'm not sure about electricity. I would not be surprised if we do not have power poles and power lines for a while. I could care less about cable at this point. I doubt garbage service will be running. I'm told there is no 911 services available, no grocery stores, and no gas stations. The post office also is not in service. No traffic is being allowed through Paradise at all. So my commute to work would take about 2-3 hours. I would have to drive in and out the way I evacuated. 

Because these things will likely not be in place again for up to 4 months, we are being advised to find a short term rental somewhere or to purchase a travel trailer to live out of. I still have my job at Butte College. Classes have not been held since the fire broke out, but it is anticipated that the campus will re-open and I can return to work the Monday after Thanksgiving. This is a huge relief. My fiancé is not as lucky. His place of work burned down in the fire. He is now without a job and our income is currently cut in half."

• Camp Fire: More than 52,000 have been evacuated and 1,385 are in shelters due to the Camp Fire. It has scorched more than 117,000 acres of Northern California, and destroyed more than 7,000 structures, including 6,453 single-family residences.
As of Monday night, it was about 30% contained.

Larissa is pictured on the right hand side of the below photo