Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday marked the third anniversary of California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire by announcing that nearly 100,000 damaged trees have been removed and debris cleaned up from some 11,000 properties.

The Camp Fire that erupted on Nov. 8, 2018, in the Sierra Nevada foothills killed 85 people, destroyed nearly 19,000 homes, businesses and other buildings and virtually razed the town of Paradise.

About 1,000 homes in the area northeast of San Francisco have been rebuilt and reconstruction continues on others, but entire blocks of Paradise remain little more than empty lots.

“As we hold the victims of this devastating fire and their families close in our hearts, we are inspired by the incredible resilience of the people of Butte County and their dedication to caring for one another on the road to recovery,” Newsom said in a statement. “Today marks an important milestone on that journey, and California will continue to stand with all the communities impacted by wildfire as they work to rebuild.”

“I know that there are people still out there struggling and we are doing everything we can to help them get back home,” Paradise Mayor Steve Crowder told Action News New on Monday. “Please keep the faith.”

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