Crews have been at work cleaning up the exterior debris from the fire at Bidwell Mansion. With the scaffolding gone and the collapsed veranda cleared away, you can get a better look at the ruined structure. It’s a heart-breaking sight.

I took a walk around the perimeter, outside the tall metal fence. The photographs were taken through the fence, between the bars. Once the clean-up is completed, engineers will go in to assess the condition of the structure and determine whether it can be saved or rebuilt.

Sometime in the near future, perhaps in August, State Parks will hold the first public meeting to get input on the future of Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park. When I know that date and place, I’ll announce it here and on Facebook. Recovery will be a long process, and if you have an interest in what happens to our Chico icon, plan on coming to the meeting.