Report: Town of Berry Creek ‘Leveled’ by Bear Fire in Butte County

As Northern California residents attempt to make sense of the historic overnight growth of the Bear Fire (part of the North Complex Fire), one photojournalist has reported that the town of Berry Creek is “leveled.”

Carin Dorghalli is a reporter/photographer for the Chico Enterprise Record and reported on her Twitter account the town was devastated by the fast-moving fire.

“I’ve been in Berry Creek since 3:30 a.m. The town is leveled. A firefighter said they rescued a hundred people from the #BearFire, including burn victims,” she wrote on Twitter.

Berry Creek is a small community about 25 miles east of Oroville along Highway 162. The town had a population of 525 in 2012 and was evacuated for two weeks during the Camp Fire in 2018.

Little reports have been announced since the fire took on a historic spread overnight and burned all the way down the mountain from Plumas National Forest to Lake Oroville. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain analyzed the the satellite imagery on the morning of September 9 and conservatively estimated the Bear Fire grew 250,000 acres in 24 hours.

Photos show structures burning in the fire:

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

3 Comments

  1. The devastation to property, wildlife, and our fellow citizens is beyond comprehension…please, God, protect them all, and esp our firefighters and first responders who put their lives on the line for us 🙏👼🏻🙏

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