SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Early Feburary marks the first time Michael and Kristy Daneau have seen their property completely cleared since it was destroyed by the Park Fire in July 2024.

What You Need To Know

  • The Park Fire destroyed 400 homes

  • Victims and survivors said it has been tough to find assistance getting back on their feet or rebuilding

  • The pending approval of federal aid, a major factor in available assistance

  • The Park Fire is the fourth largest fire in the state's history, burning 429,603 acres, an area more than twice the size of New York City

“This is a tree that was right outside our bedroom window,” Michael Daneau said.

“So weird, can’t even tell,” remarked Kristy, as the couple tried to map out their home.

It’s the second time the couple has lost a home to a wildfire after losing their first place in 2018 to the Camp Fire in Paradise.

Michael Daneau said it’s been a tough six months since the Park Fire, trying to find assistance.

“So we’ve looked into all sorts of resources,” Michael Daneau said. “Every time we’d see billboards, you know, with fire relief, they’d pop up on our your drive. We would search for it and people send us information, to all sorts of things, and most of it ends up being a dead end, unfortunately.”

The couple had property insurance for their first few years on their home near Chico but dropped it as costs soared to around $12,000 a year.

They’ve received some financial support, but none for rebuilding or relocating.

“There was a lot of stuff right after the fire that we received and the GoFundMe stuff,” Kristy said. “We’ve gotten a few donations here and there, but that’s pretty much stopped.”

The fire destroyed 400 homes according to county officials and is the fourth largest fire in the state’s history, burning 429,603 acres, an area more than twice the size of New York City.

David Little, executive VP of North Valley Community Foundation, said many Park Fire victims face the same struggles as the Daneau’s.

His foundation has distributed over $60 million to Camp Fire victims, but the Park Fire, though significant, has received little funding.

“The Park Fire is a real under resourced fire,” Little said. “It’s really hard for people to get any help to rebuild. We have given out $97,500 in grants for this fire. And we’ve also set aside another $100,000 that we’re going to commit to help people through a case management system.”

Federal aid has covered firefighting costs, and CalOES is handling most costs for debris removal.

But the delayed Presidential Disaster Declaration, requested in September by the governor’s office, is a major roadblock to recovery said But Butte County Chief Administration Officer Danielle Nuzum.

“It makes a very large difference,” Nuzum said. “This is our only event that we’ve had, especially wildfire, that has not been federally declared. We believe that we are eligible, which is why we applied and we are just pending approval.”

Nuzum estimates the recovery costs to be around $70 million.

For Michael Daneau and his wife, they said they are yet to decide whether they want to build again in a rural setting.

“That’s a touchy subject,” she said.

A decision, they said, just like their recovery, a long way off.