Six months after the disastrous PG&E fire wiped out the California town of Paradise, thousands of people and their families are still homeless.

Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that it is seeking shelter for about 1,000 survivors of what has come to be known as the “Camp Fire,” a local housing authority official says there are many, many more. The refugees include elderly residents who had lived in the community for decades as well as disabled persons.

Dodging Responsibility?

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) has confirmed that responsibility for the Camp Fire lies primarily on PG&E – and the company has acknowledged its own role in the disaster, according to a local paper, the Enterprise-Record. The PG&E fire is not the first such event for which it is responsible; in 2014, the company, according to Forbes, was indicted by a federal court for its role in causing the 2010 San Bruno gas line explosion. PG&E was found guilty of violating the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act and obstruction of justice for lying to officials about its pipeline testing policies.

Now that PG&E faces over $30 billion in liabilities over the recent fire, it has reportedly filed for bankruptcy “protection” – while its political handmaidens in Sacramento have moved to shield the company from catastrophic losses while shifting the costs to ratepayers. All of this casts serious doubt over whether the victims of PG&E’s repeat criminal negligence will ever be able to fully recover their losses from the PG&E fire.

The Vultures Move In

Those left homeless in the wake of the Camp Fire are getting little help from local landlords and realtors. The displacement of so many people has provided a golden opportunity for some to cash in on the tragedy.

In the nearby college town of Chico, housing prices rose so quickly and steeply that the city council was reportedly forced to intervene and pass a regulation limiting rent increases to 10 percent a year. The average cost of a single-family home has shot up over 15 percent in only six months.

To add insult to injury, the working middle-class families who lived in Paradise must now bid against wealthy San Franciscans who are looking for second homes in the area – driving housing prices up even more.

Where do PG&E Fire Refugees Go?

According to officials in Butte County, approximately 19,000 of the survivors have poured into Chico, while another 5,000 have sought refuge in Oroville. 100 more families have been forced to leave the state altogether.

Ed Mayer of the Butte County Housing Authority told NBC News that Camp Fire survivors are finding shelter in spare bedrooms, camper trailers, garages and sheds, or in “any nook or cranny that can possibly accommodate a human being.” Mayer added that “It may take people two to three years to figure out they won’t find housing locally unless they’re lucky to have a FEMA-manufactured housing unit.”

Is There Hope for PG&E Fire Survivors?

Currently, the federal government is working with the state of California and Butte County to clear away the debris, including toxic substances, left by the California wildfire. A spokesperson for the state Office of Emergency Services said that the job should be completed by the end of the summer and rebuilding can begin. Nonetheless, for fire refugees, any return to normalcy could be years away.

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