Wednesday, December 15, 2021
On November 8, 2018, the Camp Fire destroyed the town of Paradise, California in hours, killing 85 people in the deadliest wildfire in state history.
On this day in 2018, a faulty power line sparked a fire in the hills above Paradise, California, on a dry and windy morning. Pushed by the wind, the flames moved faster than anyone expected, and within a few hours much of the town was gone. Eighty-five people died, many of them caught in cars as they tried to flee, in the deadliest wildfire in state history.
The tragedy was in the speed. Residents had only minutes, not hours, and the few roads out of town jammed as everyone left at once. Some survived by abandoning their cars and moving on foot, and many who died were older neighbors who could not get out in time.
The lesson is that a fast wildfire rewards those who are ready to leave instantly. A go bag by the door, a full tank of gas, more than one way out of the neighborhood, and the decision to go early rather than watch are what save lives when minutes are all you get.
