Forest Ranch family evacuated by the Park Fire returns home to find ruins
As firefighters continue battling the massive Park Fire, some residents are returning to their homes for the first time after several evacuation orders were lifted.
Cal Fire reported that containment remained at 18% as of Wednesday morning. The Park Fire is the largest wildfire in the state so far this year and the fifth-largest wildfire in California history, burning 389,791 acres so far, according to the agency. Over 200 homes have been destroyed by the fire.
Parts of four counties — Butte, Tehama, Shasta and Plumas — remain under evacuation orders or warnings.
Mike Wittenberg and his wife returned to their home in the Butte County community of Forest Ranch on Tuesday, only to discover the wildfire had devastated their house.
"I'm pretty destroyed right now. Yeah, pretty destroyed. I held out hope, hoping something would still be here," an emotional Wittenberg said. "We knew the fire was coming. I didn't think it was actually going to take our house."
Before he and his family evacuated from their home, Wittenberg considered staying behind.
"My good friend, Steven Wood from Willows, is a volunteer firefighter. He said, 'Mike, don't mess around with this thing. It's coming and you guys need to get out…Don't stick around. Don't play the hero. Just go," Wittenberg said. "I sent my family down the hill. I intended to stay and defend my house from looters. A couple hours later, he's all I could hear, ringing in my head, 'You've got to get out.' So, I did. And as you can see, I'm pretty freaking glad I did."
Wittenberg spent part of Tuesday afternoon digging through the ashes in his daughter's bedroom, which burnt to the ground with the rest of his home.
"I was just hoping to find her necklace or ring. Just some toys. Any of her tea set. Her necklace set we got her for Christmas," he said through tears. "My fiancé was grabbing pictures off the wall and keepsakes. At first, I didn't understand why. I just wanted her to go get the family. Now I get it. Now that it's all gone."
Wittenberg expressed deep anger for 42-year-old Ronnie Dean Stout, the man accused of an arson that started the Park Fire.
"I want him to see what he did. I want him to see the lives that he destroyed," Wittenberg said. "He destroyed my family's life."
Through all of his frustration and disappointment, Wittenberg expressed gratitude towards firefighters and first responders battling the wildfire.
"They're all amazing human beings. I Hope they all know how incredible they are for saving our community," Wittenberg said. "Our community has jumped right behind us. Holy Trinity Church. Pastor Tom… We found a place to live. We got some house on some acreage out there on Butte Valley. It's a good place for my family to start healing from this thing. We're still trying to decide whether we want to rebuild or try something else."
