As of 8:45 AM this morning [July 9, 2008], portions of the upper ridge of Paradise have been evacuated. Feather River Hospital has closed all services on Pentz Road, and the emergency room is closed due to smoke/ash conditions. The Paradise Branch library is under Precautionary Evacuation Orders and remains in a relatively safe area, though the air is thick with smoke. Staffs that live in Paradise are safe, and their homes are currently out of harm’s way, though with our last scare in June several had to evacuate. They have masks to wear should they need them. I continually post news bulletins, fire locations and the evacuation maps as I get them and tape them to a large easel for patrons to view and examine. I have a radio tuned to the local emergency information station for the latest news about precautionary evacuations as well. Our library director, Derek Wolfgram, is at the Emergency Command Center here in Paradise. He regularly checks in with the latest information as he gets it. Apart from some smoky air, the library and staff are safe.
On another note, I was surprised at how many patrons came into the library. They were waiting at the door, many with face masks. All ages came in wanting books and trying to communicate with friends via email and to get news. Today has fewer people in the library as it is unsafe to be out but they're dropping by some on their way out of town.
~ Rochelle Carr, Branch Librarian Paradise Branch, Butte County Public Library