California - Campfire Paradise

• Date of the Campfire, Paradise 


  At some point on Thursday 8th November 2018, on a private corporate retreat about 8 miles east of Paradise, tinder dry vegetation burst into flames.
• Cause of the Campfire, Paradise

  The fire was caused by a downed powerline blown down by high winds. Then because it had been a long, hot and dry summer and autumn the ​​dry grass and leaves, pine needles, twigs, and other dead brush fueled the fire as it began to grow. Then the fire spread rapidly, fanned by westerly winds.
• Preparation for the Campfire, Paradise

  • The National Interagency Fire Centre issued a red warning about the risk of wildfires across most of California in October and for about half the state in November.
  • Within a few hours on the 8th November 2018 , it went from affecting 1,000 acres to 5,000 acres to 20,000 acres.

  Before the fire, the town’s officials regularly put out advice on the danger of wildfires, posting a fire weather watch bulletin on their Facebook page the day before it started.
• Primary impacts of the Campfire, Paradise

  • Burnt 150,000 acres
  • Destroyed over 18,000 structures including 9,000 homes
  • 85 people died making it the deadliest fire in the US in the last 100 years
  • The wildfire alert system was affected by damaged cell towers which towers burned the first day
• Secondary impacts of the Campfire, Paradise 


  • The fire caused $12.5 billion total insured losses making it the costliest disaster in the world in 2018.
  • 90% of houses and apartments were destroyed by the fire
  • The CampFire displaced 83% of Paradise’s population
  • Population of 26,500 decreased by 80% to 4700 after the fire 
  • People became ill in the evacuation shelters 
  • The fire caused significant damage to the water distribution system
• Immediate responses of the Campfire, Paradise


  • 52,000 evacuated
  • The California Fire Department were quick to issue an evacuation order but it took too long to get to vulnerable people
  • Firefighters struggled to stop the fire from burning people’s homes so instead they helped people evacuate and cleared the roads from debris caused by the fire so people could drive through the fire in their cars to evacuate. 
  • The California National Guard activated 700 soldiers to assist, including 100 military police and 22 search and rescue dogs. 
  • 10 shelters were established by the Red Cross
• Long-term responses of the Campfire, Paradise


  • Construction is constant and currently it is the fastest growing town in the US
  • Now home to 9,100 people and its population is increased by 13.22% since 2019
  • The town has built 2,128 homes and 434 multifamily units since the fire.
  • Since July 2022, Paradise has required that all new homes be built to wildfire prepared home standards.
  • The trust that oversees the settlement for the Campfire and other blazes has distributed about $10.5 billion for the construction of new homes.