July 14, 2008
Mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted in the town of Paradise, California, and evacuees have returned home as the immediate threat of fire has diminished. This was the second time in a month that Paradise Alliance Church was used as shelter for evacuees from Paradise and surrounding communities. “We saw blue sky today,” said church member Karen Horton. “The immediate threat to Paradise is over.”
Many church members, including Pastor Larry Shelton, were evacuated last week when fires sparked by lightning put their homes in peril. “Several church families that live outside Paradise in neighboring towns lost their homes,” says Horton.
The fires have burned about 53,000 acres and are now 70 percent contained. Only five fires are now burning actively, down from 14 active fires Friday. Horton, who has volunteered along with many other church members to help evacuees seeking shelter at the church, said, “I’ve lived here 30 years and never have seen anything like this. The community has really pulled together to help one another.”