Fire in Paradise: PIO flees for life |
Indian American businessman Kabul Singh watched in silent shock Nov. 8 evening as a raging fire inched closer to his home and business in Paradise in Northern California. Singh and his family are among the handful of Indian Americans who live in this rural, mostly Caucasian, town. ``I moved here because of the name, but our Paradise is all gone now. ``As the glowing ball of flames grew increasingly visible, Singh quickly evacuated his home and closed his business. ``We were trying to save our lives,`` he said, noting with despair that the Camp Fire – the deadliest and most destructive fire in California`s history – has claimed 79 lives. An estimated 11,000 homes have been lost to the blaze in Northern California and in Malibu, in Southern California. More than 1,000 people have been reported missing on a list compiled by the Butte County, California, Sheriff`s Office. A spokeswoman for the office said that a list of decedents has not been released yet, as all of the victims` families have not yet been notified. She did not know when the list would be released. Kabul Singh fled to the home of a family friend as embers rained down on him.
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