Months After the Camp Fire: How Many Are Still Struggling

Over the past few months, many individuals have been telling their stories about the horror they experienced within the first few days of the California Camp Fire and the chaos that it left behind.

In one man’s story, a 52-year-old firefighter claims that he had moved into a home in Northern California and was renovating it. When everybody started talking about the California Camp Fire, the man urged his daughter to go get her grandma out of town and that he would stay behind with his house, like so many others chose to do. Throughout the first afternoon, embers were flying onto his property from the wildfire nearby. A firefighter approached his house and told him that he was completely surrounded. He got into his vehicle and left everything behind, only to see that almost all the homes around him were already on fire and the town was blanketed in thick, black smoke. He claimed that he “drove through hell.”

In other stories, people speak of how they have lost loved ones in this devastating and unexpected fire that blazed through the entire town of Paradise, burning everything in its wake. For months, the number of people who lost their lives to the fire have stayed at a steady 86; however, they have recently dropped down to 85 and 2 people still missing who have not been identified. As the list of names grows and we realize how many elderly people lost their lives in the fire, it is obvious that many people have suffered immeasurable losses they never thought they would experience and might not be able to return to the normalcy of their everyday lives before the fire.

Dealing with the Emotional Aftermath of the Camp Fire 

Many people watched their houses burn to the ground, lost pets, lost loved ones, and suffered severe injuries due to the negligence of PG&E, who could have taken more steps to ensure that the wildfire never started in the first place. Now, as many people deal with this emotional aftermath, they wonder how they will be able to move forward after experiencing one of the most traumatizing things that has ever happened to them.

It is reported that upwards of thousands of victims might be dealing with the aftermath of post-traumatic stress. The truth is, many of these people will try to move forward with their lives and let the feelings linger, which could lead to neglect of their well-being and a worsening in symptoms. Every day, with more people being identified and the missing being found, anxiety has risen to an all-time high and more begin to suffer.

There are many reactions to the fire that are normal, from feeling sad or stressed at times. However, constantly feeling as if you need to cry uncontrollably, being hyper vigilante and not being able to settle down as you think about it might be signs of PTSD or another underlying disorder brought on by the effects of the Camp Fire.

Choosing an Attorney Who Can Help 

At Marlene Leiva Law Group, our attorneys understand how difficult it can be to move forward after a devastating experience such as the California Camp Fire, which was completely unexpected and brought chaos to the entire city of Paradise and beyond. If you are interested in possibly filing a lawsuit against PG&E for their negligent acts due to the fact that you have received psychological trauma from the fire, we want to speak with you immediately. Contact us to find out how we can assist you at 415-459-7300.