In 2018, a devastating fire ripped through the mountain community of Paradise, California. 85 people died. And almost the entire town burned to the ground.

The Camp Fire remains the most destructive and deadliest fire in the state’s history, destroying more structures than the Eaton and Palisades Fires combined. Nearly seven years later, Paradise is coming back — it’s not the same, and so far, many of the residents have not returned. Less than half of the pre-fire population has returned to Paradise and about half of the people now living there are new to the community.Rebuilding is hard. Survivors are facing tough choices while they still navigate the trauma they experienced. But many will argue that Paradise is safer. Electrical lines went underground, evacuation routes were reconfigured …and about 200-thousand trees were cut down as it became a priority to create a fire-resilient landscape.

Guests:

Greg Bolin, long time resident, former mayor, and current member of the Paradise City Council.
Colette Curtis, Recovery and Economic Development Director for Paradise.Read Noah Haggerty’s most recent story about Paradise: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-01-24/ex-paradise-mayor-offers-advice-to-los-angeles-recovery-wildfires