California’s worst wildfire transforms city that didn’t burn

CHICO, Calif. (AP) — Amber Blood got to Chico on v. 8, 2018, wearing pink slacks and her favorite white peacoat. It was all she h left.

Blood was among tens of thousands forced to flee as a wildfire roared through Parise and nearby communities in rrn California, killing 85 people and destroying roughly 19,000 buildings.

thing burned in Chico, closest big city. And within hours, ar city h moved in — filling up hotels, living in trailers, sleeping on friends’ couches and buying up every available home, apartment and spare room.

A year later, most are still re. State officials estimate Chico has ded 20,000 people, boosting population from 92,000 to more than 112,000. city didn’t expect that number until at least 2030.

“We all feel lost, still,” said Blood, who has since bought a home in Chico. “This house is beautiful, and I don’t even feel like it is my home. It’s weird.”

What’s happened in Chico in year since California’s deliest wildfire shows how blazes — growing more frequent and destructive with climate change — have lasting effects far beyond flames.

“You rmally would have a dece to prepare for such growth,” Chico Police Chief Michael O’Brien said. “We h about 10 hours.”

Chico officials say y need close to half a billion dollars to improve infrastructure and hire eugh police officers and firefighters to cover surge in people. But because city is outside burn area, it isn’t eligible for most state and federal disaster funds. most it’s gotten is $3 million from Legislature.

Aside from housing shorts and more traffic, influx has strained city in unexpected ways. About three weeks after fire, Chico’s sewer system was handling an ditional million gallons (4 million liters) a day, or equivalent of ding an extra 5,000 homes.

City officials h hoped increase was temporary. But w, system is handling an ditional 600,000 gallons (2.3 million liters) a day from fire survivors, costing an extra $53,000 per month. That’s money Chico doesn’t have.

City Manr Mark Orme says Chico will likely have to raise rates to pay for it.

“It’s one of unanticipated consequences of being friendly neighbor,” he said.

effects go beyond government services. region h four hospitals before fire. But Fear River Hospital in Parise closed and has t reopened. Since n, Enloe Medical Center in Chico has seen up to an extra 700 patients per month, according to Judy Cline, director of emergency department.

hospital has ded seven around--clock nursing shifts to keep up, but it’s having trouble filling positions because potential employees can’t find places to live.

“Our community is completely different than it once was, and it will always be completely different,” Cline said.

Even before fire, Chico’s home sales vacancy rate was below 1%. Along with hospital workers and ors, former Parise residents have struggled to find a place to call home.

Laura Smith and her family h 2 acres in Parise. w, y live in a small apartment where neighbors complain if you shut your door too hard. She dreams of moving back.

“We’re in Chico, but we’re Parise residents,” Smith said. “re is something separate about us.”

It was even hard for Blood, a real estate nt in Parise, to find somewhere for her and her children.

y lived in a cramped, two-bedroom apartment for months. It was unfurnished, but shopping was exhausting. first thing she bought after fire was an expensive fake plant because it was one of few things left in store.

When Blood finally bought a house a few months later from a woman who was moving overseas, she said she paid seller an extra $7,000 to leave furniture.

“We literally walked in, house was rey to go,” Blood said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law this summer designed to speed up construction of new housing by temporarily suspending state’s lengthy environmental review process for fire-affected areas. But law does t include Chico because Mayor Randall Stone and most of City Council opposed it.

Some residents were so angry y launched an effort to remove Stone and ar councilman from office. Stone said he is “beyond confident” recall won’t succeed, saying state law would strip authority from local governments and was an attempt by Republican lawmakers to dodge environmental protections.

mayor said he plans or actions to dress housing crisis, including justing fees for developers so y build more affordable housing. He said he was proud of Chico for coming toger to help.

“We didn’t literally have fire on our homes in this community, but we’re impacted by it,” Stone said. “We’re all burdens on each or.”

recall has ded to tension in community, compounded by small things like longer wait times at restaurants and heavier traffic.

But Chico residents are careful when y complain, said Katy Thoma, president and CEO of Chico Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re trying to be sensitive to people in Parise who lost everything,” Thoma said. “Chico is a real friendly, warm town, and it’s kind of town where you don’t honk at people when light turns green. You let people in. re seems to be less of that.”

All of se are signs of a city getting to kw itself.

“I don’t think we kw what new rmal is,” said Alexa Benson-Valavanis, executive director of Chico-based rth Valley Community Foundation, which has given $27 million in grants since fire. “But we’re figuring out how to take care of everybody here. I think we have a heart and a will to do that.”