Fire In Paradise
“Fire in Paradise” is a video documentary made by FRONTLINE that examines a fire that
occurred in Paradise, CA which ultimately became the most destructive fire in California history.
The video was made one year after the fire and details the causes and impacts of it. On
November 8, 2018 a fire started about 7 and a half miles from the town Paradise beneath a
high-voltage electricity tower owned by PG&E electrical company. The fire started from a piece
of equipment that failed, bringing a power line in contact with the steel electric tower. From
that, shards of molten metal got thrown down into the surrounding brush. The fire started off
small and was near a narrow dirt track called Camp Creek Road, firefighters determined it was
too dangerous for fire engines to drive through. They called for air support to put out the fire,
but it was cancelled because of high winds. Because firefighters could not reach the fire, it grew
and was spreading rapidly towards a remote settlement of 700 people called Concow.
Firefighters were called in to Concow to put out spot fires, but because of high winds, the spot
fires started to grow and become unmanageable. The fire started spreading at a rate of 80
football fields a minute across a canyon from Concow to Paradise, which rarely occurs. When
the fire started to reach Paradise, Cal Fire issued an evacuation order only for residents on the
east side of Paradise, but nowhere else. After 18 minutes of the fire reaching Paradise, a
mandatory evacuation was issued for the entire town, and all of a sudden thousands of people
are trying to evacuate at the same time. The fire became destructive when it reached Paradise
and over 30,000 people’s homes were destroyed. In the end, a total of 85 people died from the
fire with a majority of those people being 65 years or older; the people that perished in the fire
were still in their homes or trapped in their car. The fire ultimately covered 153,000 acres, an
area the size of Chicago, and could be seen from space. The fire burned for over two weeks and
the only way it was ultimately put out was from the first winter rains. There were several
factors that lead to the many deaths from the fire. One factor that led to the loss of life was
firefighters underestimating the fire in the beginning. Because they did not hit the fire hard
from the start, when it was manageable, it started to grow and turn into a monster no one
could control. Another factor that led to the loss of life was lack of establishing an evacuation
plan. Everything happened fast and thousands of people were trying to leave the town at the
same time, which led to heavy traffic and people being trapped in their cars. The town had
evacuation plans and procedures, but they did not follow it. Lastly, I believe people’s false
sense of security was a contributing factor to the loss of life. The people that stayed back did
not think the fire would be as destructive as it was and felt staying was the better option, which
is why the majority of bodies found were in homes. There are also many factors that contribute
to the rapid spread of fire, one being extreme weather conditions. The fire occurred during a
very dry and windy season, which is ideal conditions for wildfires to start. Another factor was
the abundance of fuel for the fire to grow and spread. Paradise and its surrounding areas have
lots of vegetation and brush which helps fires grow and spread fast. Also, the terrain
contributed to the rapid spread. The area around Paradise is steep, and fires tend to move
more quickly uphill with the help of strong winds. The rugged area also made it difficult for
firefighters and engines to access areas. Another factor is also climate change. Firefighters in
the video stated that fires are different as well as the seasons. Fire season is much longer and
the summer is much hotter, drier, and less humid while winters are on the lower end of
average. With all these factors combined, s small fire turned into the most destructive fire in
California history.