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CHICO, Calif. — Dozens of Paradise residents filled up Tuesday night's town council meeting in Chico to discuss the deadly Camp Fire, and how the town can move forward.
Sandy and Bruce Lawrence attended the meeting hoping to hear about future plans for Paradise, including those for the town's power and sewage infrastructure.
The couple lost their home in the Camp Fire and planning to rebuild.
“My family moved there in 1950. So I’ve been there on and off, and [I'm] hoping to have more of the input into how the town is going to be rebuilt, including different zoning,” Sandy said. “All [of] that has memories for us, and our memories are hard to let go of, and rebuilding that is like rebuilding a place in your heart."
During the meeting, PG&E announced it is overseeing the utility’s new rebuilding effort in Butte County. Gas service is expected to be available to residents who can receive it before the spring.
Meanwhile, the Paradise Irrigation District said it has released water in the main system, but has not sent bills for anything post fire.
The council also addressed Feather River Hospital, which was mostly left intact during the Camp Fire. Officials said they're waiting for evacuations to be lifted and believe they will be ready to see patients this week.
The Paradise Chamber of Commerce said it is currently operating at Chico Chamber of Commerce and is working to refocus its website to a recovery page.
The council voted for Jody Jones to serve a second term as mayor of Paradise, giving her a chance to lead the town forward into and after recovery.
However, some people who attended the meeting like Mary Caldwell don’t plan to stay around to witness the rebuilding.
“I’m looking at every neighborhood and thinking, 'This could burn,'” Caldwell said. “People moving on — it’s not gonna be the same. The town isn’t gonna be what it was. It kind of died that day... what it was.”
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ABC10 Presents "California Wildfires: The New Normal": From escaping the Camp Fire in Paradise to the aftermath of the Carr Fire in Redding to Tubbs Fire rebuilding in Santa Rosa, ABC10's Originals team is taking a personal and deep look at California's wildfires with a 10-part series “California Wildfires: The New Normal”: