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It is very, very bad. But some good news. I was able to get ahold of WB6IAG and K6PBT. They are alive and relatively well. Evacuated.

Ron and jhis wife got stuck in Paradise and had to shelter in a building as fires burned all around. Gas Stations blew up...fire fighters were calling for more water as I heard on the frequencies. I didn’t know that Ron was still stuck up there. I talked to him a little after 8 this morning. He was gathering the critters up. (as well as radios to I imagine)

As of this moment buses are getting ready to evacuate the community of Forest Ranch...

As for K6PBT...I sent an email and an hour ago he wrote back. Doing well and in Chico. These are elderly hams and mobility is an issue. Paradise had a lot of elderly living there. Lots...

The whole town is gone...literally. devastated....gone. a whole town. 25k residents. gone....

The fire is moving into the eastern parts of Chico at this moment and south towards Oroville, (my location.) We should be safe through the night. East parts of Chico not so safe. They are evacuating now.

Its bizarre. The photos are stunning. Imagine a glowing red black night of hell, except its eleven in the morning elsewhere. Surreal.

Been scanning all the frequencies. There have been brave acts by firefighters. People fleeing for their lives from cars stuck on escape routes. There hasn’t been real talk of deaths...but we know that there are. How many? Don’t know. Have heard that some people may have perished in their cars. Don’t know if that is true. How many old people have died in their homes confused with power out and no way to communicate to the outside world?

PG and E cut power. They played it safe. In some areas they cut power prior to the fire to prevent swinging power lines from arcing. Winds have been bad.

Those that wonder if it was terrorism, homeless, etc...don’t know the area and are barking up the wrong tree. How the fire started out on Camp Creek Road has yet to be determined. Maybe it was the winds blowing at 50 mph down the Feather River Canyon that had something to do with it.

Early this morning when I looked out the window the “thunderhead” plumes of some were quite visibile over the tree line. The fire was said to be 2K acres then. By early afternoon it was 18K acres. More than 20K now. It moved fast. Absolutely no containment as of yet.

Horses are running wild down roadways looking for safety. There was no time to load them up and take them somewhere. People left with what was on their backs. They opened the gates and hoped for the best. What were they supposed to do?

No hotel rooms for 75 miles around.

Paradise gone...Magalia next...Chico threatened, Forest Ranch on the list.

And that is the report as of this moment.