Woman who escaped 2018 Camp Fire just before son’s birth is forced to flee another wildfire while pregnant again

Taylor Galgano, CNN

(CNN) — When 24-year-old Arielle Penick fled her location successful Oroville, California, from nan Thompson Fire Tuesday, she says it brought backmost memories of evacuating Paradise during nan 2018 Camp Fire.

“We conscionable spot a pummel of fume successful nan sky. And nan PSTD from nan Camp Fire kicked successful instantly, particularly pinch really large nan unreality of fume was,” Penick said.

The Camp Fire was nan deadliest wildfire successful California’s history. Before nan Maui fires, it was nan deadliest wildfire successful nan US successful much than a period arsenic well, according to nan National Fire Protection Association.

On Tuesday astir 2:30 p.m. PT, Penick packed up her things successful Oroville pinch her 5-year-old son, her fiancé and her fiancé’s 2 kids. The family is among nan thousands of residents evacuated arsenic nan Thompson Fire continues to pain successful Butte County, conscionable astir 20 miles southbound of Paradise.

“By then, you could conscionable spot nan unreality of fume correct location down my house. And it started to get orange,” Penick said. “We gathered arsenic overmuch worldly arsenic we could. Our 3 dogs, our canine crates, each nan canine food, my kids’ favourite toys, each their diapers and wipes, their favourite bedding, their chairs.”

After nan Camp Fire, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) reached an $11 cardinal colony pinch security companies and admitted it was “probable” that its instrumentality started nan 2018 Camp Fire.

Penick is 1 of nan group who received colony money. She has received 1 costs truthful far, and she utilized it to salary for her car and nan rent connected her Oroville location successful advance, she told CNN.

“It’s scary. It’s sad. I’ve worked difficult to effort and find this house. And nan truth that nan Camp Fire is nan only measurement that I sewage this location pinch that settlement, and for it to conscionable beryllium gone again would conscionable beryllium devastating to me,” she said.

Penick besides conscionable recovered retired she’s pregnant, conscionable for illustration she was erstwhile she had to fly nan Camp Fire successful 2018.

“I was almost 7 and a half months pregnant pinch my boy Andrew. And he’s 5 now,” she recalled. “And location was 5 of us, 2 dogs and a feline … and not 1 of america had a car. And truthful we were walking, and we walked for almost a mile. And immoderate feline successful a large achromatic motortruck named Butch, he picked america up and he put america successful nan furniture of his truck. Seeing my large aged pregnant belly, he said ‘get in.’”

She recovered retired her location burned down astir six aliases 7 weeks later. She had lived successful Paradise her full life.

When they went backmost to sojourn nan house, location wasn’t overmuch left.

“I recovered a small porcelain teacup that I had, that was buried underneath immoderate worldly that didn’t really break – nan grip broke, but nan cup didn’t,” she said. “All my babe stuff, my original ultrasounds from my gestation were burned. All nan worldly I had for my son. I was expected to person my babe ablution connected November 11th, and nan Camp Fire happened connected nan 8th truthful I didn’t moreover get to person my babe shower.”

She said it’s stressful being pregnant during different evacuation.

“I’m stressing. Every time is stress,” she said. “I’m expected to beryllium having my first assignment successful Oroville connected Friday, but now my doctor’s agency is closed owed to nan fire.”

Penick is presently staying astatine nan location of a friend who besides lived done nan Camp Fire.

“She’s for illustration my support system. She’s a Camp Fire subsister arsenic well. We’ve been friends for a bully almost 10 to 15 years.”

Penick is waiting to perceive much astir her Oroville house. On Wednesday morning, she heard that her roadworthy was closed and that her location doesn’t person power.