Oroville is no stranger to devastating fires, including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 and displaced roughly 50,000 others. The 2020 Bear Fire had taken the home of Thompson’s neighbors.
“We’ve been through it so much that it’s just kind of second nature. Now we already know what we need to do and to stay vigilant,” Thompson said.
Using a scanner app on her phone, Thompson listened to law enforcement as they decided to evacuate the area where her twin sister Crystal Kehle lived. So Kehle was able to pack up and leave for her sister’s home, alongside her husband and father-in-law, by the time an official evacuation order was released. Butte County has also set up two evacuation shelters.
“California is using every available tool to tackle this fire & will continue to support impacted communities,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in declaring a state of emergency for Butte County.
In a statement Wednesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it had approved federal funds Tuesday night for assisting California in suppressing the fire.
Dan Collins, a fire captain at Cal Fire’s Butte County Fire Station, said that Thompson was not as aggressive as previous deadly fires the county had experienced. Collins said he was “very optimistic” about preventing the spread of Thompson, especially because Cal Fire had activated an incident management team that brought more resources and people to the front line.
“It helps us as the local fire department because it’s tough for us to support a large incident like this,” Collins said.
The Thompson Fire is one of 17 that remain ablaze in the state, as a dangerous heat wave sweeps across the West ahead of the long Fourth of July weekend. Excessive heat and the risk of wildfire have already impacted holiday plans, with California State Parks announcing the cancellation of the City of Oroville’s fireworks celebration. The cities of St. Helena and Antioch have also suspended Independence Day plans.
Thompson said that her family had chosen to cancel their July Fourth plans as well.
“We told our family members that we’re just, it’s just too heavy right now. We’re not going to celebrate.”
A total of 2,934 California wildfires have burned more than 139,500 acres this year alone.
