Camille Von Kaenel
The Daily Democrat
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Past articles by Camille:
Berry Creek’s volunteer firefighters lose homes, station
It was 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 when Reed Rankin, the volunteer fire chief in Berry Creek, got a call from a friend in Mountain House: His backyard was on fire. Rankin and his crew of six volu… → Read More
Sewers organize home-made face masks to fight COVID-19
Sewers are organizing to make and repair face masks themselves amid national shortages as the outbreak of COVID-19 strains the health care system. → Read More
Cal OES and FEMA seeking to get out of PG&E’s $13.5 billion settlement with victims – Lake County Record-Bee
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services say they are taking steps to separate their claims against Pacific Gas and Electric, Corp. from th… → Read More
Tax credits worth $100M for fire recovery have pitted California’s affected counties against each other
Butte County officials and housing developers are concerned they may not be able to make full use of a special category of federal tax credit designed to finance housing projects in areas ravaged b… → Read More
Tax credits worth $100M for fire recovery have pitted California’s affected counties against each other
Federal tax credits worth $100m were supposed to go towards fire recovery. Lawmakers are fighting for Butte County projects to be eligible. → Read More
Families mourn ‘forgotten’ deaths from Camp Fire
PARADISE — Donovan James Iverson’s family says he died because of the Camp Fire. But he does not appear in the only official accounting of the disaster’s victims, the Butte County coron… → Read More
Families mourn indirect, ‘forgotten’ deaths from Camp Fire
PARADISE — Donovan James Iverson’s family says he died because of the Camp Fire. But he does not appear in the only official accounting of the disaster’s victims, the Butte County coron… → Read More
State contracts for worker camps run out
PARADISE — Plans for the future of the housing sites set up for Camp Fire debris removal workers are hazy ahead of a Friday deadline. The state of California helped fund two “worker camps” in Butte… → Read More
State, feds asked to drop PG&E claims – Daily Democrat
A bipartisan group of members of Congress from California urged U.S. Attorney General William Barr and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to halt claims against Pacific Gas & Electric C… → Read More
Winter brings rising hardships to Camp Fire survivors in temporary housing
BUTTE COUNTY— The first big winter storm of the season exposed the vulnerabilities of hundreds of people living in temporary, precarious housing like trailers on their properties after losing homes… → Read More
Volunteers build 200 storage sheds for burn scar residents
Volunteers with faith-based organizations are currently building 200 storage sheds for people living in the Camp Fire burn scar. The group, Maranatha Volunteers International, started construction … → Read More
Maps | A year later, a community continues to scatter
It took almost a full year for Jesse Arnold, who lived in Acres of Paradise Mobile Home Park before the Camp Fire destroyed nearly all she had, to decide to leave the place she had wanted to live i… → Read More
Insurance industry can’t agree on wildfire risk reduction efforts – Lake County Record-Bee
California’s insurance industry does not have a consistent way to take into account improvements that residents make to limit the risk a wildfire burns down their home. → Read More
FEMA agrees to pay for part of Camp Fire hazard tree removal
OROVILLE — Butte County announced today that a government hazard tree removal program funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency will take down trees on private property that could fal… → Read More
The Camp Fire left a million trees dead. Can Butte County remove them all?
BUTTE COUNTY — The Camp Fire left a staggering million trees dead or dying — at least — and the logs have almost nowhere to go. Because Butte County has a dearth of local sawmills and biomass power… → Read More
Butte County families re-purpose trees burned in the Camp Fire to rebuild homes
CONCOW — Over the weekend, Chad Erickson built a small wooden deck for his family between the trailer that has been their home since the Camp Fire and a storage shed they use as a dressing room. Th… → Read More
Legislation to create emergency room in Paradise near approval
SACRAMENTO — Adventist Health could soon be allowed to set up an emergency room in Paradise. A bill carving out an exception from the state rule forbidding free-standing emergency rooms for F… → Read More
PG&E emergency funding program open to wildfire survivors – Lake County Record-Bee
SACRAMENTO — Survivors of wildfires can apply to get some funds for urgent unmet needs from Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. starting today. The Wildfire Assistance Program is set to distribute $105 … → Read More
Mounting insurance rates hit those in and near Camp Fire footprint
PARADISE — Laurie Smith’s Magalia home survived the Camp Fire, but her insurer, Merced Property & Casualty, did not. The best insurance plan she’s found since — a last-r… → Read More
Paradise residents still trying to understand Camp Fire contamination
PARADISE — A stale chemical smell hangs in Lisa Kasza’s garage in lower Paradise. Piles of toys, books and other possessions covered in a thin layer of dust wait to be thrown out. Nine … → Read More