California town destroyed by fire issues first rebuild permits

On Friday, Colleen Corners said she and her husband picked up their permit to start building on their property.

"We are excited and fortunate," Corners said. "There are still lots of people struggling to just get their insurance straight. There's still a lot to do and lots of patience is required."

Several retail establishments have re-opened and the town is showing signs of life, she said.

"We have a grocery store, hardware store and auto repair shop," she said. "Everything a small town needs."

Still, Corners and others say the rebuilding process has been slow and hampered by hazards and hurdles that include contaminated drinking water in some neighborhoods.

Only one other property owner has been cleared to receive a building permit. Twenty other applications are pending inspections by state environmental officials.

Debris has been removed from an estimated 580 of the 11,000 lots where homes were damaged in the fire.

Officials with the town's water district have said federal and state authorities will deliver 2,500 tanks of clean water for cooking, cleaning and bathing while contaminated pipes are replaced — a process that could take up to three years. Burned cars still line roadways.

Construction crews have fanned out through the city and can be seen and heard clearing lots six days a week, weather permitting.

On Thursday, after the first building permit was issued, Paradise Mayor Jody Jones announced that grants of $3,500 for owners of every damaged property were available to help pay for the permit process. Jones said she hoped the grants would encourage more applications.

"This first building permit is a sign of the resilience and perseverance that our residents have in coming back to Paradise." Jones said. "The ball is rolling."