Overlake School Raising Funds For Camp Fire Victims

REDMOND, WA - Staff at Redmond's Overlake School have established a fundraiser for a former staff member living in a California town that has been devastated by the Camp Fire. In Paradise, Calif., more than 20 people have died since the fire began last week.

Members of Overlake's Arts and Experiential Education Department set up the fundraiser for Beth Highland, who was Overlake's service learning director.

The fundraiser has already hit its $10,000 goal. The money will go to Highland and her family, but some will also go to the Paradise community, according to the GoFundMe fundraiser page.

"As you may have now heard, my humble hometown of Paradise, CA is now recognized for the most destructive fire with the greatest human loss in CA history. I wish you all could know it the way I've known it...a place of tranquil beauty, rivers, and a tightly-knit community in the foothills of the Sierra-Nevadas. It is still remarkably tight-knit, despite this tragedy, and I hope the tranquility and beauty will restore with time," Highland wrote in an update.

Caption: The Camp Fire burns in the hills on Nov. 11, 2018 near Oroville, Calif. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise charring over 105,000 acres, killed 23 people and has destroyed over 6,700 homes and businesses.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images