Nestled in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada Foothills, a small town revival is slowly taking shape. A community is rising from the ashes, ushering in a return to Paradise. It has been 5 years since the 2018 Campfire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. Nearly 20,000 structures were destroyed, and 85 lives were lost. Paradise was nearly purged off the map.
A Shared Trauma
The Frel family barely escaped the flames that consumed their home, rushing to safety with their daughter, Marin, who was just 18 months old at the time. “Home is your safety spot, right? That’s where you feel safe, or should feel safe anyways, and be cozy. And all of that coziness of our life, that kind of warm feeling, is just ripped away,” they shared.
A Movement to Return
Most evacuees moved away after the fire and never returned. Out of the more than 26,000 residents that called Paradise home before the fire, the town is now home to just a little over 9,000. However, signs of rebirth have emerged, and the town is moving in the right direction. “We’re really proud of the progress that we have made and where we are today,” says Town Recovery and Economic Director, Colette Curtis. “For the last half-decade, we have been leading the charge to make Paradise a place to come back to. We have generations of families that have lived here, and so for those people, coming back home was really important. We had a very strong immediate rush of our residents wanting to come back home, wanting to rebuild, pulling permits. We did absolutely everything we could to make that process simple for them.”
Making Paradise Safe Again
In a region prone to fire, community leaders in Paradise are taking on the challenge of making the town feel safe again. “We live in a high-fire severity zone, and that is the reality,” explains Curtis. “We have long practiced evacuations with our community. We put a lot of effort into communicating with our residents about evacuations and what they need to know. But in the Campfire, we really learned what is a worst-case scenario and where were our gaps.”
Preparing for Emergencies
City leaders have implemented various measures to increase safety. They conduct monthly siren tests, with a network of 21 warning sirens blaring out in case of an emergency. They are widening lanes on roads for emergency vehicles, placing all power lines underground, and removing over 200,000 trees to create defensible space.
A Changed Landscape
All these changes have transformed the landscape of modern Paradise from a dense forest community to something that looks more like a high desert. “Yeah, it feels different, but it’s still home,” says one resident. Paradise has become a model for other communities devastated by megafires, and the lessons learned are being shared.
A New Beginning
On the 5-year anniversary of the Campfire, Paradise is paying it forward. They are in frequent communication with Lahina, a town in Maui that recently experienced a devastating fire, sharing their knowledge and experiences. “Seeing another community benefit from the hard lessons that we learned is extremely rewarding for us,” says Curtis.
Rebuilding and Regaining Home
Since the fire, Paradise has seen significant construction. Around 2,500 homes have been rebuilt for new and returning residents. Many homeowners, like Mike Peterson, have constructed their homes with wildfires in mind, using non-combustible materials and creating defensible space. “Do you feel safe?” he is asked. “Safer,” he responds. “Where you’re hoping that when you come back, it’s maybe still standing. That’s kind of the hope.”
A Work in Progress
Paradise is still a work in progress, but for many, it feels like life is returning to Paradise. Mayor Greg Bolan, who is also a local contractor, finds great satisfaction in giving people their homes back. “Little in his life has been as rewarding as seeing people come back and have, in some cases, the first new home they’ve ever had in their whole life,” he shares. “When you hand them the keys, and they see it, and they know that’s their home, that’s pretty cool.”
Feeling Safe Again
The Fenzel family recently returned to Paradise after originally moving away. They are rebuilding their home with safer and smarter improvements. They have created defensible space and have prepared an emergency box with important documents and a list of things to grab in case they need to evacuate. “I do feel safe living here,” says Mrs. Fenzel. “In a lot of ways, it’s safer than it’s ever been in recent history.”