PARADISE, Calif. — As Paradise residents try to put their lives back together after the destruction caused by the Camp Fire, they are now faced with another hurdle. Those that were displaced will not be allowed to return their properties for the time being.
On Monday, the Paradise Town Council voted unanimously to pass Ordinance 575, which states "residents may not live on property where a qualifying structure over 120 square feet has burned until that debris has been removed."
The reason for this ordinance is due to concerns of hazardous materials that are present in the debris. But that's not the only thing.
According to the town of Paradise website, FEMA and Cal OES have said that allowing people to live in a public health emergency area will jeopardize the funding which pays for the state debris removal program.
This ordinance has left some Paradise residents wondering where to go next.
"Where are we going to go? Maybe if they give them a place to go. But they don't know what to do. They'll just tell them to move," said Sue Owen, a Paradise resident. She was displaced due to the fire and has been living in a trailer on her property.
The only residents who are exempt from ordinance 575 are the ones whose homes have remained standing.
In the meantime, the town is working on several locations where residents can move their RV's to temporarily.
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As Paradise tries to recover from the devastation caused by the Camp Fire, Mother Nature decided to make that recovery that much more difficult.