Butte County nonprofit helping Park Fire victims get back on their feet

By Shelby Reilly

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    BUTTE COUNTY, California (KMAX, KOVR) — As the Park Fire continues to burn, nonprofits are stepping in to help those impacted get back on their feet.

“We kick into gear like right away,” Alyssa Hoffman, founder of the Tiny Pine Foundation, said.

Tiny Pine Foundation is a nonprofit that helps Butte County and surrounding areas with aid during disasters like the Park Fire.

“We have diapers, we have hygiene, snacks, bottled water, first aid kits, all new clothes and shoes. And we have gas cards and grocery gift cards,” Hofman said.

We met Christopher Apel and his brother-in-law Bruce Hey while at the Tiny Pine Foundation. They are both Park Fire victims.

Their family has lived in the Cohasset area for decades.

“We had two pieces of property next to each other and we had a lot of people who were staying there from the Camp Fire and different things, just in trailers or whatever and everything is burning,” Apel said.

Hey had to drive through the fire, when he evacuated.

“I tried to outrun it,” Hey said.

Hey also burned his left arm while he was evacuating.

“I wouldn’t have gotten burned if I hadn’t rolled down the window to look in the rearview mirror. I was right in the middle of it and I was trying to put it in reverse,” Hey said.

Jessica and Roger Parker have also lived in the Cohasset area and said they have no idea if their home is OK or not.

They said it took them roughly six hours to evacuate on Wednesday night.

“We were one of the crews that were out in the woods trying to figure it out because we had no way out,” Jessica Parker said. “Our crew was pretty large,” her husband, Roger, added.

After also going through the Camp Fire, the Parker’s said they are constantly reminded of what matters the most.

“Things happen fast, you know. You just have to hold on to your memories the most. Pictures and all that, they’re just material,” Jessica Parker said.

Tiny Pine Foundation is located at 2742 Feather River Blvd. They will be open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

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