Park Fire evacuees in Chico look out for their neighbors
CHICO — Some people forced to leave their homes after the rapidly growing Park Fire found themselves at the Neighborhood Church in Chico.
At the Butte County evacuation center, so many say that the progression of this fire is all too familiar. The Ferguson family suffered tremendous loss during the 2018 Camp Fire.
"Just bringing back memories of driving down during the Camp Fire, I look back and it's just right there. The flames are right there, and it happened again today," said Ellie Ferguson, who is in high school now but remembers the day she evacuated Paradise six years ago.
Her father, Tim, said the loss their family suffered is still fresh.
"It is painful, I lost my dad in the Camp Fire," Tim said. "I just keep thinking, 'Here we go again.' "
For people like James Henri, who left with his 13-year-old dog, King, they are grateful for their safety and thinking of others who he said have it much worse.
"It's the other people I feel so bad for. I don't own my house. I don't have kids. I feel downright lucky right now," Henri said. "As a faith-based person, you pray a lot. You pray a lot. You pray for other people, not just for yourself or what you need."
That was the spirit of the Chico evacuation center, a spirit of selflessness and always thinking about the person next to them.
Chelsey Bartels and her friend, Brett, have a sprinter van to shelter in but said they tried not to panic and helped who they could get out when the evacuation orders came down.
"We do our best to try and remain calm. We do our best to help each other and it's how we try and live in our regular lives as well," Bartels said. "It's a practice. It's an emphasis. How can we be in this chaos and navigate it calmly? We got to help our elderly neighbors get out."
They said that by living in the backcountry for two decades, they're well aware that things could change at any moment.
"You do what you can to help the people around you and you always remember the most important thing is that you have each other," Brett said.
The Park Fire has since become the largest wildfire in California so far this year, burning nearly a quarter of a million acres in its first three days. Four counties—Butte, Tehama, Shasta and Plumas— have been affected by evacuation orders.