the Paradise Irrigation District discovered that benzene, a cancer-causing chemical in crude oil and gasoline used to make plastics and synthetic fibers, contaminated almost one-third of the five hundred water samples it collected around town. Officials believed this occurred when the Camp Fire sent toxic gases from burning homes into the water pipes, and melted plastic pipes and meters. By the summer, the water district was still warning people not to drink the water or use it for cooking, brushing teeth, making ice, or preparing food.
