CHICO — When President Donald Trump rolled into town Saturday, some Camp Fire evacuees in Chico shelters felt like they were a world away, though they were mere miles apart.

Trump joined Gov. Jerry Brown and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom in the morning for a tour of the devastation to the Paradise area and a visit to the incident base in Chico before heading to Southern California in the early afternoon.

Some evacuees were grateful for his visit. Others were relieved they didn’t have to shake his hand. A few had no idea the president was in Butte County at all.

Paradise resident Michael Reasons, who has been staying at the Neighborhood Church evacuation center in Chico, said that Trump’s visit meant “nothing” to him. Reasons, 50, was walking around with signs for his missing dog Saturday afternoon.

“For me, it doesn’t make a bit of difference,” he said. “I know what kind of person he really is.”

What those impacted by the fire really need right now is positivity, and to know that they are genuinely cared about, Reasons said.

“He really has a hard time showing compassion for, you know, people,” Reasons said. “I don’t really have a lot of respect for the guy.”

Ambrose Reuter, a 68-year-old Paradise resident, said he didn’t vote for Trump or Hillary Clinton in 2016 because he didn’t like either candidate, but he appreciated the president paying a visit.

“It meant a lot that he came out personally,” Reuter said between bites of KFC chicken outside of the church.

Paradise resident Laura Owens, who described herself as a Trump supporter, struggled to answer when asked what it meant to her that the President came out. Owens, 46, has been staying at the East Avenue Church in Chico with her three teenagers, parents and two dogs.

The first night, they slept in a tent outside because the shelter was at capacity, she said.

“I heard he was coming, but that’s so far out of this realm,” Owens said. “Even though that’s amazing and it would have been nice if he had come here, I can’t think about that.”

Meanwhile, Paradise resident Joe Redfern, 72, said he was relieved that Trump didn’t make a stop at the East Avenue Church. He suggested that the visit was purely politically motivated.

“He’s only doing this because politically, he’s being forced to do it,” Redfern said. “I don’t think he knows how to show empathy, sympathy. I don’t know how else to describe it, but Donald is for Donald.”

Glenn Murray, of Chico, held a similar opinion. Murray, 53, evacuated to the church from Chico on Nov. 8 and even though the evacuation has been lifted from east Chico, he has returned night after night to visit with the friends he made there.

“He realized California has a lot of money and a lot of power,” he said. “He realized he can’t do what he did in Puerto Rico.”

Paradise resident Kimberly Comeau, age 50, who lost her home on Clark Road, had just a few words about the president’s trip.

“Is he going to throw paper towels at us?” she asked.

Fire command center

Around 100 Cal Fire employees and dozens of Trump supporters waited at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in the early afternoon, hoping for a chance to see the president. Reporters on the ground saw a handful of protesters outside as well.

Oroville resident Jenny Benson, age 34, said she thought it was important for Trump to come out. Benson was waiting on Fair Road, wearing a Make America Great Again hat, with two friends.

“He has the best interests, I think, in mind to come and help everybody,” Benson said. “It’s a really devastating thing. I know everybody is getting political, but I don’t think now’s the time.”

She said she thought there was some truth to the president’s tweet on Nov. 10 which suggested that mismanagement of forests was the cause of the fire and threatened to withhold federal aid.

“He’s not compassionate — we know that — but he’s honest, and people don’t like that,” Benson said. “Maybe he realized what he said wasn’t heartfelt and he’s gonna come here and help the people and thank the first responders.”

Chico resident William De La Vega said he hoped the visit would lift people’s spirits, regardless of political affiliation. De La Vega said he also agreed, at least partially, with the much discussed tweet.

“I’m hoping that it brings unity to the people that aren’t happy with him,” he said.

One of the Cal Fire employees waiting for Trump to arrive was Conner Bridwell, a 21-year-old firefighter from Siskiyou. He hoped to shake the president’s hand.

“Then my grandpa would be kind of jealous,” Bridwell said. Related Articles Some Camp Fire survivors feel pushed out of rebuilding as more fires threaten

Under the bridge | Hot Shot

Deadlines set for hazard tree removal private program in Camp Fire scar

Honey Run Covered Bridge ceremony postponed

Chico-based company brings WiFi to firefighters in remote areas

Asked about the President’s tweet, he said he thought there were aspects of forestry management that needed to be changed. Bridwell said that many of their views, including on agriculture issues, aligned and that he was a Trump supporter.

Darin Nelson, a medical unit leader from Lincoln, said that the fire damage was something that had to be seen in person to fully grasp the severity of it.

“Everything the citizens are going through is just unfathomable,” Nelson said. “To know that we have the support of our leaders and that they want to help get the communities to rebuild, that would be great.”

Nelson said that overall, he thought Trump was taking the country in the right direction. He also suggested that some changes to forestry management may be needed, to account for factors like climate change.

“Just because we’ve been doing something for 50, 60 years doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do,” Nelson said.

The president took a different exit, missing the crowd of waiting firefighters. Several Cal Fire employees were less than enthused when asked about the president’s visit but wouldn’t speak on the record about their opinions.