The wildfire known as the Camp Fire raged through the Paradise area in Butte County beginning early Thursday morning, destroying an unknown number of homes and threatening up to 15,000 structures.  The small community has been largely devastated by the fire, which rapidly grew from 1,000 acres on Thursday morning to 70,000 acres Friday morning due to high winds and dry conditions, and continues to spread through the county.  The Camp Fire now threatens the city of Chico with active evacuation warnings in place for several communities in the area and no hope for immediate containment.

Filling in for Governor Jerry Brown while he is out of State, Lieutenant Governor (and Governor-Elect) Gavin Newsom issued an emergency declaration for the wildfire as Acting Governor on Thursday.  Newsom also sent a letter to President Donald Trump and the Federal Emergency Management Agency requesting a Presidential Emergency Declaration for immediate direct federal assistance for communities not only impacted by the Camp Fire, but also the Hill and Woolsey fires in Ventura County, the Nurse Fire in Solano County and several smaller fires in other counties, including Lassen and Mendocino.

The full text of Acting Governor Newsom’s Emergency Declaration can be accessed here

Acting Governor Newsom’s request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration can be accessed here

For up-to-date information on the Camp Fire and other wildfires around California, visit CAL FIRE’s fire incident website.

For the latest evacuation information, follow Butte County, the Butte County Sheriff’s Department, and the CAL FIRE Butte Unit on Twitter.