Calgary firm to supply housing as crews rebuild devastated Paradise, Calif

A Canadian company has been selected to help rebuild Paradise, the northern California community that was almost entirely destroyed by a raging wildfire in November.

Calgary-based Black Diamond Group Ltd. says its U.S. business unit has won a $20-million rental contract to supply portable housing units with 1,584 beds to support reconstruction.

It says the initial term of the contract is for nine months, with an option to extend, and includes transportation costs.

Only about 1,500 of the town's 27,000 residents still live in the few surviving houses after the fire that started in the tinder dry Sierra Nevada foothills destroyed nearly 15,000 homes and killed 85 people.

Black Diamond shares were up 12.4 per cent or 27 cents to $2.44 just before noon on Monday.

The company rents and sells modular workforce accommodations to business customers in Canada, the United States and Australia.

"We are pleased to be one of many supporters in the massive undertaking that is to clean up and rebuild the town of Paradise," said CEO Trevor Haynes in a news release.

"Our team is expected to rapidly supply a large contingent of dormitories that will be used to help house the workforce in the cleanup effort."