Butte College
News Announcement

Camp Fire Devastates Butte College Students and Employees

The morning of November 8, Butte College was contacted to serve as a staging area for all emergency services personnel, but no one knew just the magnitude of the devastation the Camp Fire would inflict. As smoke and ash began to settle on its main campus, the college received word mass evacuations were taking place in neighboring areas of Paradise, Magalia, and Concow.  The collegeclosed its main campus and all students who took the bus to Paradise/Magalia areas were redirected to the Chico Center. At its height, over 500 emergency vehicles and 1500 personnel were mobilized and over 50,000 people were evacuated. The Camp Firekilled 85 people, with 10 reported missing. It also burned 153,336 acres and destroyed 18,804 structures—making it the most deadly and destructive wildfire in California’s history. 

As the college was closed for 18 days during the fire, college staff mobilized to offer a support center at its Chico Center to offer mental health and academic counseling, financial aid assistance, a food pantry, payroll, computer labs, and a call center for students unable to come to the center.  Over 1,500 students were served the first week it opened.

“We are committed to helping our students, employees and communities rebuild after this devastating tragedy and continue their educational journeys,” said Samia Yaqub, Butte College president. “We are working to determine local workforce needs in an effort to rebuild our communities as quickly as possible.”

Over 1,471 Butte College students lived in the Camp Fire area and over 871 students and 139 employees have lost their homes.  Many of the students surveyed lost all of their belongings, including laptops and textbooks, and are seeking immediate support.  The Butte College Foundation has set up a Camp Fire Relief Fund here to help students and employees affected by the Camp Fire.  Tax-deductible donations can also be mailed to the Butte College Foundation at 3536 Butte Campus Drive, Oroville, CA, 95965. Any questions can be directed to 530-895-2359.