California's on fire, ya'll. One of them is right in my neck of the woods.

The fire started Wednesday on the east side of Chico on Humboldt Road, which is why they've dubbed it "The Humboldt Fire" (which is really confusing because this is not Humboldt County---Chico is about 350 miles west of Humboldt County). Hot winds have been driving the fire east up into the Sierra Nevada foothills, demolishing over 20,000 23,000 acres of my beloved Butte County landscape. Then last night it split into three fires and one of them started moving southwest. The local news keeps saying that only 30 - 40 66 homes have been destroyed, but I just watched a non-local newscast that said at least 100 homes have been destroyed in the town of Paradise. Many of my co-workers have been evacuated from their homes and are scrambling to find places to stay while they await their fate.

These photos aren't mine.



The Govenator declared a state of emergency in Butte County and firefighters from as far away as Beverly Hills are up here helping. There's like 13 wildfires burning all over in this state. I should be out taking pictures but I'm too numb. Under that I'm scared shitless. Not so much for myself, but for my friends and co-workers who live in Paradise. It hurts my soul to see the beauty of this landscape decimated. It's been feeding my soul for so long. I know fire has its place and it's all actually very profound---new life, etc. It's just so.....harsh.




This bottom photo is from a set of pictures that Flickr user Dain Sandoval took.