A year after the town of Paradise, Calif. was destroyed by the Camp Fire, the state’s deadliest wildfire in history but only one of many California wildfires, the town is starting to rebuild.

Reportedly, approximately 90 percent of the town of Paradise was destroyed during the Camp Fire, which burned for two weeks in November 2018 and spanned more than 150,000 acres. The population of Paradise before the Camp Fire was around 26,000. Following the fire, it dropped to 3,000. Approximately 14,000 residences were destroyed by the fire, many of which were located in Paradise.

Although the town has begun to rebuild, many residents are still fearful about their vulnerability to future California wildfires.

According to one resident of Paradise, neighbors who recently spotted smoke rising from someone’s fireplace panicked, thinking that it was a sign of a wildfire. Even residents who do not live in high-risk wildfire zones or have not been displaced by fires may be experiencing the side effects of these blazes.

Hundreds of thousands of residents have already been dropped by their insurance companies due to the risk of wildfire damage to California properties, and even more people are expected to be affected by hesitant insurers in the future. Residents who have been dropped by their home insurance companies due to the risk of wildfires may be facing limited options. Finding replacement coverage may be double or triple the original cost of insurance, and may only offer homeowners limited coverage.

In addition to displacing almost 50,000 from their homes, the Camp Fire was estimated to be the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018. Residents who were affected by the Camp Fire suffered property damage, damage to landscaping and natural vegetation, soil erosion, and other damages. Although Paradise is starting to revive itself after the devastation of the fire, questions are being raised about whether to rebuild communities in high-risk wildfire zones, according to an NPR report.

California Residents Feel the Effects of Wildfires

Approximately 2.7 million California residents live in areas that are deemed to be at high risk for wildfires. In an attempt to prevent future wildfires from burning out of control and devastating communities like Paradise, California agencies have focused on thinning out dry brush and vegetation with logging and controlled burns. Additionally, hundreds of millions of dollars were approved by the California Legislature earlier this year for new aircraft, improved emergency-alert systems, remote cameras, and additional firefighters.

Despite these efforts, many California residents are likely to experience wildfires in the future. Hot and dry conditions are expected to continue, drying out natural vegetation and increasing the risk that electrical sparks, cigarette butts, or camp fires may cause widespread blazes.

If you suffered property damages, injuries, loss of income, damage to outbuildings, landscaping, or other losses due to the Camp Fire or other California wildfires, you may be eligible to hire a qualified attorney and pursue compensation for these losses.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.