Paradise rebuilding efforts continue 7 years after Camp Fire
By Denzen Cortez
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PARADISE, California (KCRA) — Seven years after the Camp Fire devastated Paradise, California, the town is slowly rebuilding and honoring the lives lost.
Mayor Steve Crowder said he’s proud of the community’s progress, noting that about 40% of the town’s housing has been restored and the population has grown to more than 11,000, compared to 26,000 before the fire.
“We lost 85 people that day, and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about them,” Crowder said.
The Camp Fire remains the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. It burned more than 153,000 acres, destroyed nearly the entire town of Paradise, and killed 85 people. Investigators later determined the fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas & Electric.
At a local nursery, new greenery is taking root — a symbol of the town’s ongoing recovery. “This will rebuild the city back to the beauty that it had originally,” one resident said.
Despite the loss and years of rebuilding, Crowder said the town’s spirit has never wavered. “The community is one thing that fire never took,” he said. “It’s the same community it was before the fire.”
Though Paradise hasn’t fully returned to its pre-fire population, the determination to rebuild remains strong.
“A lot of people after the fire said, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t rebuild,’” Crowder said. “Well, I’ll tell you — we’re kind of like the little train that could. Because that’s who we are.”
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