Toward the end of a recent news conference held to update the public on the recovery effort in Paradise, a man rose from the audience with a question.

He understood that making the burn area safe for people to return to would be difficult. Especially with the near-constant threat of debris flows. But when could he go back?

“Two months? Three months? Six months? I have to know what to do,” he said, his voice quavering with emotion. “Where do I go from here?”

Across Butte County, about 50,000 people have been displaced from Paradise and the nearby towns of Concow and Magalia. Some of them barely escaped and have been so shaken by the wildfire that they’ve said they have no intention of returning.

Others are content to set their lives by law enforcement’s timetable — authorities have said that eastern and southern portions of Paradise might be opened to residents early next week, if the weather allows. Parts of Concow, Old Magalia and Yankee Hill could follow later in the week. After an initial 24-hour period for residents, those areas will then be open to the public.

Authorities are also hearing from a third group: evacuees who are desperate to visit their properties, but who live in parts of Paradise that will likely remain off-limits for several more weeks.

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