you have lost track of the forest fires in California, everything – except for your Confidence. “Now we must look forward, that we are still alive. We must not think of what we lost everything,” says Diane Mullin. Nevertheless, the tears come to her according to the news Agency AFP, if you remember your house in Paradise – the place that was destroyed in the most devastating forest fires in the history of the state.
Many of the inhabitants of Paradise came with friends or Relatives in the area, other Hotels. Within a radius of dozens of kilometers away no free room more. Who are less lucky or less money, sleeps in one of the shelters set up in churches and schools in the neighboring towns.
“Entire neighborhoods are destroyed,”
Affected at the emergency shelter in Chico
Among them, Elizabeth Gorman, camping with nearly 200 other people in the Neighborhood Church in the 15 km distant site of Chico. “Entire neighborhoods are destroyed, street by street, block by block,” she says. “The house of my daughter, her mother-in-law – all the houses in your street are destroyed and only ash. It’s terrible.”
What is become of your own house, don’t know Gorman, like many other residents of Paradise. The authorities have ordered the evacuation and return until Further notice.
The destruction in Paradise
In California, the fury of the worst forest fires in the history of the state. This gas station near Pulga is completely burned out.
The fire has mainly affected the town of Paradise, hard. Here are 42 people died in the flames. Many bodies were found in burnt-out houses and car wrecks. Rescue workers search through the city.
A Couple is in Paradise in front of the ruins of his house. Alone in Paradise 6700 houses should be burned down, the place has around 27,000 inhabitants.
a Lot of people tried to flee in their cars as the flames approached. Of this burned only the metal parts of cars are left.
A firefighter pauses. In a few places after the fire disaster is already accessible, to help the firefighters in the search for Missing persons. The number of dead could still rise.
Three residents of the town of Paradise to embrace.
the elementary school of Paradise was completely destroyed.
This Pitbull has taken burns to the paws. Many owners had to leave their animals, as they were surprised by the Bahsegel flames.
firefighters battle again and again against the resurgence of deleted Fire.
In Paradise rescue workers search for human Remains.
Also in Malibu, known for its luxury homes, raged the flames. This property has been almost completely destroyed.
the Malibu’s lives, many celebrities. TV-Moderator Thomas Gottschalk has a house here. It fell victim to the flames.
Gottschalks Villa burned to the walls.
Only the swimming Pool remained intact.
Strong winds and prolonged drought may cause the fire to spread in the coming days.
camping tables in front of the Neighborhood Church around a dozen Affected at Breakfast sit and look blankly at a TV. Also Diane Mullin. “We will start all over again, step for step. We will build our house again. We will build the city again, because it is a beautiful city,” she says. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Not far from the Church, the 64-year-old Glenn Simmons is asleep in his car. A place in the shelter of the pensioners did not get, everything was already full. What’s to become of him, he does not know. “I’m sitting here waiting for what comes,” he says resignedly.
“Everything is burned. I have the clothes I’m wearing; a backpack, and that was it,” says Simmons. “It really hurts – I’m an artist, and more than 50 years of artistic work are simply gone up in smoke. All the memories, irreplaceable things.”
“I’m going to apply for help from the authorities. The shelter is full, so I sit in my car – better than nothing,” says Simmons. Maybe he’ll move to southern California, or the state of the whole of the back.
The Camp-fire around the resort Paradise North of Sacramento called so far, 42 Deaths, as the competent Sheriff of Butte County, informed. Never before since the beginning of the records came in a fire in California, more people lost their lives.
the all-clear is not in sight. The easily flammable Vegetation, lack of rainfall and low humidity were the “perfect ingredients for an explosive, dynamic brand growth,” said Chris Anthony of the California fire protection Department, the Los Angeles Times. The Californians should prepare for a “long and potentially deadly” fire season. It’ll be worse than it can imagine the population will ever have.
sen/AFP/dpa
