The Latest: County orders wildfire victims to leave lots

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The Latest on Wildfire victims ordered to leave damaged property (all times local):

5:42 p.m.

A Northern California county hard-hit by wildfire ordered residents living in temporary shelters on burned out lots to leave their property.

The Butte County supervisors voted 4-1 on Monday to repeal a December law permitting residents who lost homes to wildfire to live in recreational vehicles and other temporary shelters on their property while awaiting cleanup and rebuilding.

The Paradise Town Council voted several hours earlier to repeal a similar ordinance.

Federal officials warned the county and Paradise that those laws jeopardized federal funding for the massive cleanup of the Nov. 9 wildfire that wiped out most of Paradise and destroyed 14,000 homes.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said permitting residents to live on burned-out lots before they are cleared and inspected puts health and safety at risk.

Hundreds of residents had moved back to their lots since December. Paradise and county officials said they don’t know how the change back to the old rules will be enforced, but authorities are trying to schedule crews to clear those properties as soon as possible.

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2:20 p.m.

Hundreds of residents living in recreational vehicles and other temporary shelters are being ordered to leave their burned out properties after federal authorities threatened to withhold paying for the massive cleanup of California’s most destructive wildfire.

The Paradise city council on Monday rescinded a two-month old law allowing residents to live in temporary shelters on their wildfire-damaged property while rebuilding. Thousands of residents were left homeless by the Nov. 8 wildfire that destroyed most of Paradise and many still remain without reliable shelter.

Mayor Jody Jones said the council reversed course after the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it would halt cleanup funding if residents were allowed to live on properties before before they are cleared of debris.

FEMA didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press.