California wildfires: The last man standing in Paradise

President Trump and his entourage have come and gone, along with most of the media, but almost two weeks after California's deadliest wildfire on record destroyed the town of Paradise, the official list of the missing is still fluctuating wildly.

At the last count, 699 people have yet to be accounted for.

-------

Follow us:

[josierae]

Really should’ve been a siren system similar to a tornado siren

[angelahicks]

Alarms should have gone off not text messages not for a natural disaster of any kind period!!!

[degrees]

They can text everyone for a missing child's amber alert (and we didn't sign up for that) but they can't do it for fires? There is no excuse for that

[gretchenblitzmadel]

I am sure sirens would have worked just fine. (I lived in Paradise. I escaped with nothing but my life and my cat.)

[Chinookman]

This is by far and away the finest piece of journalism I’ve seen so far in the aftermath of the fire. Well done in script, photography, editing, content. Amazingly well done.

[volvofreak]

A text message, what a waste of time and lives, sure they can probably read it but if they're anything like my dad their phones wouldn't be turned on during the night, some kind of siren would've worked better

[pattinpups]

Thank you. I appreciate this coverage as it gave a true picture as to what Paradise is, or was, like. "There's a reason it was called Paradise".

[j.lahtinen]

Only a text message warning? Wow. That's such an inadequate system. Not only are the old people who wouldn't be subscribed to such system, but you don't always notice your text messages immediately. Why not a warning siren, and a TV AND social media campaign to teach people the "Evacuate immediately" signal?

[jeffmorse]

I live in Butte County and I'm a bit surprised, but glad that the foreign press is reporting on this so thoroughly.

[brianolson]

I have been through floods which are bad, but it isn't anything like wildfires. I really feel bad for those who had died and those who lost everything in the firestorm.

[bob_frazier]

There's a strong message here about preparedness, self sufficiency, and gutsy determination of able bodied people. When these urban / forest interfaces go up, don't depend on the firemen to come save you or your house - they're completely overwhelmed and will be focused on evacuations. It's up to you to have a plan, make a stand or flee.

[picturejan]

So very sad. Fire and water are so strong and so uncomfortable.
Thoughts n prayers all your way

[patsycav]

Who runs the town of Paradise? What have they been doing, when there have been so many fires in California and nothing has been done to protect the citizens of Paradise, not even a proper warning system. This smells like something that needs to be investigated by the State government. I live on the East coast, but I am angry, and also very sad. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. This is unnatural and unacceptable.

[stevesran]

SMART METERS ON EVERY HOME SET FIRES TO EVERY HOME

[rebeccagutierrez]

Lately it seems like things are becoming the worst in history. I live in Puerto Rico and went through hurricanes Irma and Maria. And Maria was one of the worst in history. And all the California fires and it's one of the worst in history. Lord have mercy on us.

[ng-marc]

Rest In Peace :( Who is responsible for the warning and alert systems?

[saful]

Americans should feel how hurtful the lost house.

[patsycav]

Why doesn't the local government have a better system...people shouldn't have to sign up. They should have an alarm system, just like any other normal state. This is a case of total neglect of the taxpaying citizens of Paradise. There should be a class-action suit. No one has contacted this poor young woman, who can't find her disabled mother, after making several calls for help and being told she is just one of many, as though they have no concern. Can this really be the USA? It sounds more like a horror movie about a fictional town in a fictional country. WTF.

[nitefox]

We cannot expect a government to make up for common sense. I used to look around Feather River Canyon and think "How would they stop it?" The answer... They could not. During the Saddle Fire I asked my co-workers if they were concerned as our house was just one zone away from being called. They laughed and said "In 2008 they came around and told us to evacuate." I said "Yes, but the fire marshal said on TV yesterday it is your responsibility to know your zone...if you expect them to come tell you, this is someone who is supposed to be fighting the fire." People were still waiting for their government to help them and this time even with horns people WOULD have died. It was that fast. No elderly person without a car who uses a walker or wheelchair would have had time or been alert enough to evacuate. This one was the unthinkable and people thought their government would not let this happen. Even with more strict measures in place sometimes common sense is required. The girl's mother perished in the fire. She could not MAKE mom get in the car. Will she carry guilt and shame for the rest of her life? Should she have died too?

[niceboy]

Stay alert, don't wait for anyone to risk their life's to knock at your door to warn ⚠ you about the dangers