The sign at the entrance of the town of Paradise, on Skyway road. At the back, the new sign installed after Camp Fire, indicating the rebuilding of the town.

Pentz road gas station.

7760 Skyway road

Tina Balasek, 57, poses in front of the shed she built and decorated herself on the piece of land she recently acquired in Paradise to build her new home. Tina used to rent a mobile home, and was able to acquire this land thanks to a connection of hers. « I used to rent and lost everything. My house wasn’t properly insured because of a few trees that had to be taken down as they were too close to it. My entire house burnt down, but ironically, those trees still stand. »

1081 Elliott road

1081 Elliot road. The land cleaning process is almost complete, the trunks of the last trees that had to be taken down are being burnt in order to prepare the space for rebuilding. At the back, the trailers that Paradise inhabitants live in, while they rebuild their homes.

Jim McCurdy’s wood workshop survived Camp Fire. « It was the only building still standing on my land. When we came back in the days that followed the fire, and I saw my workshop still there, I saw a sign that we had to come back and rebuild. »

Jim and Angela McCurdy in the trailer they live in a few days a week while rebuilding their house. The rest of the time they rent a house in Chico, the nearest town. « But people are crazy over there. And now that there aren’t any trees anymore in front of my future house, I can watch sunset every day from my porch if I feel like it. » Angela now has anxiety crises because of Camp Fire, so she currently can’t work. She hopes they will reduce with time…

The car cemetery on Skyway road, where the cars that were burnt on the road are gathered. The town inhabitants trying to escape were caught in a traffic jam on the only road that they could take to leave town, and were surrounded by the fire. Many were burnt alive in their cars.

Chip and Kellie Gorley’s house. « A friend is helping us rebuild it for a fraction of the cost we would have paid if we’d hired builders on the market. Once the main work is done, I can finish the electrical and smaller work myself, this is the job I do. », says Chip.

Chip and Kellie Gorley, in front of the trailer they live while rebuilding their house.

The road to Paradise Lake. At a distance, the hills where Camp Fire started.

Carrie Max in front of the trailer she lives while she rebuilds her house.

Pool on an abandoned residential land, Sawmill road.

Fire department station n°1, Birch street. Paradise is divided into 14 zones, each with their fire station. An evacuation protocol had been designed and was to be activated in case of a fire, but the automated text message alerts didn’t have the expected impact, because part of the town inhabitants still hadn’t activated that service and therefore didn’t receive them.

Burger King sign, Clark road.

Burnt evacuation pipe, Paradise community village.

Sign along Skyway road, approaching Chico, the main town of the area.

Brian and Carrie Stratton on the back porch of their new house.

Fire hoses and flowers, Clark roard

Flag, Sawmill road and East Dottie lane.