9 November 2018 | The campus of Adventist Health Feather River has suffered extensive damage by the Camp Fire that has burned much of the Northern Californian town and is currently spreading at a rapid pace. Several news outlets reported that the hospital was destroyed. The hospital’s Facebook page said that there had been damage to parts of the property but that staff had been unable to assess damage to the campus because of lack of access. Reports today are saying that while some ancillary buildings were destroyed, the main hospital building is still standing.

The hospital said that physicians, staff and patients had been safely evacuated.

Conflicting reports are emerging regarding other buildings that were destroyed by the fire. Paradise Adventist Church and Paradise Adventist Academy were also in the path of the fire which has consumed hundreds of buildings in the densely wooded town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. A report on Friday morning said that PAA is still standing. It is unclear if PAC burned.

CNN described the fire raging in Butte County as being so strong that it was consuming 80 football fields a minute. So far it has destroyed 20,000 acres. High winds and low humidity are helping to spread the fire that is completely uncontained despite 2,200 firefighters battling the flames. Approximately 40,000 people in Butte County have been evacuated so far in the county including the town of Paradise. It is unclear how much of the town’s population may have been trapped by the fire.

Adventist Health Feather River is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit network of hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities serving more than 80 communities across the Western United States and Hawaii. The healthcare system is affiliated with the Adventist Church.

The Facebook update from Adventist Health Feather River is included below:

We are so thankful that physicians, staff and patients were evacuated safely. We want to recognize our entire Adventist Health team, colleagues at Enloe Medical Center and Oroville Hospital and first responders who made that possible. Please join us in prayer for the safety and recovery of our entire Paradise and Butte county community.

Adventist Health Feather River Status:
Multiple media outlets have reported the destruction of Adventist Health Feather River Medical Center in Paradise, California. While we did sustain damage to some parts of our property, we are unable to confirm the full extent of that damage at this time. Until it is safe for our team to return to the site, we are unable to confirm any reports.

Adventist Health Medical Office in Paradise:
The Adventist Health clinic will be closed until the damage is fully assessed and it is deemed safe for associates and patients. We will keep everyone informed once the assessment is complete.

Adventist Health Medical Offices in Chico:
The clinics in Chico will be closed tomorrow. We will continue to assess the situation to determine if they will reopen on Monday. All patients were notified today in order to reschedule appointments.

Support for Adventist Health Associates:
– Associate Fire Fund – We are establishing an employee fire fund to assist employees who have lost homes or been faced with other unexpected expenses.
– Associate Assistance – Adventist Health is providing an – – Associate Assistance Provider who will provide resources for grief counseling, financial guidance and emergency response support.
– Associate Hotline – We are here to support our associates and physicians. Should employees need housing, food or shelter, or if they have any questions, please call 916-774-3336.

If you are an associate of Adventist Health, please look out for more details on all of the above.

Press Inquiries
For any press inquiries, please email Jill Kinney at kinneyj1@ah.org or call 415-264-5715.

Evacuation Centers
Neighborhood Church
2801 Notre Dame Blvd.
Chico, CA

Oroville Nazarene Church
2238 Monte Vista Ave
Oroville, CA 95966

East Ave Church
1185 East Avenue
Chico. CA

Butte County Fairgrounds
199 E. Hazel Street
Gridley, CA

Pet Evacuations
Small animals evacuated can be taken to the Old County Hospital at:
2279 Del Oro Ave
Oroville, CA

PHOTO COURTESY OF B.F. by CC0

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