Fire in Paradise (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
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- Опубликовано: 28 окт 2019
- "Fire in Paradise" - A year after the devastating Camp Fire, FRONTLINE examines who’s to blame and why it was so catastrophic.
With accounts from survivors and first responders, the documentary tells the inside story of the most destructive fire in California's history, its causes and the impact of climate change.
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#FireInParadise #Documentary #CampFire
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The people who managed to evacuate the hospital patients so quickly are absolutely amazing.
imagine if some guy was in mid surgery and had his body cut open when being evacuated bruh
Indeed: A cardiac nurse saw the fire at the edge of the parking lot!!! The fire dept saved all but the cardiac unit.
@@missy2244not true
I don't want to lessen the tragedy of 85 lives lost, but when you can evacuate 40,000 people under those circumstances, on that road network, in that short of time frame, that is an unmitigated success. The first responders here were absolute heroes.
Yes. They absolutely stood there and directed traffic and never left! I’m sure it helped from panic. All the first responders were amazing.
I was there you are so wrong
Blame Greg Bolin
@@garp-cm7te I believe there is so much more to this fire then they let on. I do not believe it was 'accidental' and I do not believe the power co. was the only player. Look at what has happened since. I'm afraid of using words which are banned on other platforms but things are happening here and other countries which are making folks disappear + others die (or are said to have died) from something never isolated. The ones behind all this are evil.
John the Bulldozer Driver is a hero who deserves a medal or something.
To the dude in the dozer clearing the road your a absolute hero I tip my hat to you and every last one that helped and gave their lives to help others
80 football fields a minute. When I heard that it took my breath away. There was nothing that could truly be done, which is the saddest part of this whole tragedy. It's just inconceivable how powerful this fire was.
Took mine away too.
Who truly can plan for that kind of event?
Those emergency people are incredible for all they did too.
Thank you for listening to the video. This was one hell of a powerful fire!
I’m wondering for days or weeks of forecast with no winds if they control burn around a town? Terrifying. 80 football fields a minute?!
Read about the Peshtigo Fire
That works out to 273 MPH. Insane!
It has taken me 5 years to get the courage to watch a documentary about my former home. As a paradise fire survivor this has brought back many memories of that gruesome day 5 years ago today. The fears that my family went through, the friends lost, but seeing this is allowing me to start having closure. Thank you to everyone who did anything for the people there, as well as thank each of you on here.
2019 is 4 years ago
@buninparadise9476 this happened November 8th 2018
Do you see how they plan to pay for this? It’s disgusting.
Sending love to you, your family and your community, Love an Australian.
These fires were done using weather manipulation by YOU KNOW WHO.
If you don't know who I mean, YOU HAVE TO GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLES. DO RESEARCH AND THEN PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRUTH AND MEDITATE.
This is why we are here people. We are in a spiritual war. As weird as it sounds, it is true. Time Travelers have found that we have won this war by doing what we need to do each day❤
I was born in Paradise, lived my life there 45 years. There had never been a fire like that in my lifetime or my fathers. The roads were blocked not only from traffic but from falling debris, downed power and telephone lines, cars running out of gas. There was no cell service so you could not contact your family at all in most areas. There are no words to adequately communicate that day, only the tightness in my chest and tears. We all lost everything we knew, worked for, fought for and so much more that we loved. None of us will ever be the same. There was the life before and the life/survival that came after. Yet, most of us feel the desire to go home and fight our way back. If anyone reads this, do not ever take the words "going home" for granted. Think of all that means for you and be grateful for all you have. To Paradise, my once and future home.
Thanks for sharing your story...so sorry
To Linda Day...
I was born in Paradise! Actually...I was the 3rd baby born there but....
I was first baby girl!
I was born on Christmas Eve! (That ruined my parents Christmas!) LOL!!!
🙏🏽❤️
So, so, so sorry, Linda. I had no idea. How awful for you and your neighbors, friends and family. Prayers and Tears, for you, for Paradise.
🙄
Those Doctors and Nurses at that hospital are HEROES!!! Truly amazing grace under literal fire.
I know a nurse that made it out of the hospital I work with her
I was on that fire and I broke down after it was over. I started firefighting when I was 18 years old. And I'm 34. I can't sleep. I can't eat. You don't understand the trauma that it put on all of us that were there that day.
I know I can't know what you went through. I just pray you find peace because you're heros that save lives.
You made and make the world a better place. I pray you find comfort & peace even though you went through this trauma, you save others from a worse fate.
Thank you for your service sir
Thank you sir; you are a hero and an angel. I'm so sincerely sorry for your pain. 😢
i’m so sorry you’re still suffering. i hope you can find peace 🙏🏻
you might not feel like it, but you’re a true hero. for the years you so selflessly gave fighting fires and helping save lives.
It literally was hell on earth.. the figurative apocalypse. Ur I strong man for still being here with us today thru it all. Ur a survivor and a hero
Im a Camp Fire survivor and I want to thank everyone who donated or came out and supported us. Don't know where I'd be without all you helping me out. Something like this can make someone go crazy.
Me too😥
I can’t imagine going through anything like that 😭 how have you been since the fire, if you don’t mind sharing?
Did you roast weenies?
@@tomdickens7856 never speak again
Glad you made it out okay. My house almost got burned down in the 2017 eagle creek fire. Luckily it didn’t and luckily no one died in it.
The grandfather story is sad but the 911 call of the three trapped people is probably the saddest thing in this. Heart wrenching
The saddest story of them all... was my friend, Cirro Cavazos.
I used to go to church with him, his brother, and his parents. He got married, had a child, and moved to Paradise, California.
He fled from his burning home... and he died. When we used to go to church, Cirro told me that when we grow up, we will be
forced to be chipped, so the devil can steal your soul. I told him, "That sounds like a good movie. What theater are they showing it?"
Alma Wells wwas oo
ushu
The women who made that 911 call were found dead in their home in Paradise near Feather River Canyon
Agreed
This FRONTLINE story on the Fire in Paradise is why I knew to evacuate during the Marshall Fire in Louisville, Colorado. Like many people in Paradise, we did not receive emergency notification and there were no sirens or police or fire engines. There was so much chaos and confusion. Smoke was in the air and the winds were so strong and blowing right towards our town and neighborhood. We did not wait to be told to leave and told our neighbors to leave too. Thank you FRONTLINE for the warning which contributed to lives saved in our wildfire.
The real issue is the fires are created by a DEW weapon or energy source that HEATS up appliances IN SIDE the house and burns the house. Proof?
If you look at the scenes of destruction and find an older pickup truck, pre 1975, they do not have steel belted radial tires. And those do not burn. Modern cars with steel belted tires will have the STEEL BELTS heat up and set the car on fire in 4 places, during it at 3,000 degrees. Those older pickups will have some burn damage but the tires are fine.
Listening to the dispatcher on the phone with the ladies trapped in their house and dying was heart wrenching. As a 911 dispatcher for 11 years and a volunteer firefighter and EMT for 12 years my heart goes out to him... 💔 😭
The girl talking about her grandfather in his wheelchair, with the watering hose and a bucket of water. It's just terrible.
Kita very sad.
The girl about her popop is the only one who seems true...
Yeah that brought a tear to my eye and I'm not guy that cries much, it's one thing to lose your grandparents due to old age or illness and disease and another to lose them in this kind of horrible and seemingly avoidable manner. Granted this Camp fire was truly an uncontrollable monster, but I'm from southern California and we had seen multiple fires that rate of spread at or of a greater speed than this fire, before this fire. So the notion that Cal Fire hadn't ever seen or heard of a rate of spread like this is complete and utter bullshit. I'm a member of the news media and regularly cover wildfire's in my area and at least five different fires over the past decade or so have had similar or even faster rate's of spread, no question. I photographed one fire about two years ago named the Canyon Fire 2, it started in the Corona/Anaheim Hills area and within a couple hours the fire front was burning 15 miles to the west in the city of Irvine. In those two or three hours it had reached 9,000 acres, which is truly incredible if you don't know much about fire. I'm not a big supporter of climate change, I'm not a denier, I'm just skeptical due to all of the lies and false claims. Such as using Polar bears to tug at heart strings, when in reality there are probably more Polar bears alive today than in any other time in history. There are also places that have record icepack levels and some of the Great Lakes have recently recorded record water levels after people threatened they were going to disappear, etc. What is 100% true though is California has been in a record drought and fire season is now almost year long, and is certainly no longer a "season!" We've always suffered bad fires, but now they're more frequent and seem to spread further, faster than before.
Sherrie Reece the only one that seems true? This wasn’t a movie with actors. These things happened, they’re all true
Patrick Smith seems drought is more to blame than raising temperatures. I 100% believe in climate change, just not the man made part. We may need to rethink the sustainability of ppl living in CA, or at least certain parts of CA where lack of seasonal rain and proximity to high fire danger exists. I’m wondering where these ppl are today? Are they planning on rebuilding in Paradise? Or abandoning it for safer communities. Time will tell I suppose.
That firefighter who operated the bulldozer through the inferno should have a statue erected in his honour. I can honestly say as an adult man who think of himself as pretty brave, I would not have the guts to do what he did. I won't ever forget this story.
Yeah, i fought fires for 10 years.. I would have lost my nerve before 9 am
@@jerryhernandez9775 If I may ask Sir, (Not trying to be disrespectful at all. Thanks for your service by the way) do some firefighters just break on scene? I always thought that I would make a good firefighter. I am young, health, smart and etc. However, I had to respond to a medical emergency at my last job. A young man jump into the lake where the water was only three foot high. He broke his neck and stop breathing. We called 911 and did CPR until the fire dept. and ambulance go there. I acted the way a First Responder is supposed to handle crisis with confidence. I was screaming and crying in the inside. That one call change me deeply. I am just so willing to pay higher taxes to make sure that our firefighters got everything they need in their toolbox. I think I would have just run for my life in Paradise. Paradise reminds me of 9/11 and Chernobyl Nuclear Accident. Those calls some firefighters don't make it back home. Thanks.
@anders damin Thanks. That is what I hate about our world so much. PTSD is real! A lot of jobs do not offer counseling to deal with the emotional trauma to help save money while their workers suffer in silence. When people try to talk about their feelings, they are called weak and told to shut up because men are not suppose to cry. Then people wonder why there is just so much pain, hate and suffering going on in our world today. Thanks for listening. Counseling might not be such a bad idea after all.
@anders damin I am so sorry to hear. I just wish people could realize that firefighters, police, soldiers and etc. who do not have physical damage does not mean that he/she does not carry an emotional burden for what he/she has been thru.
PG Reitisma, That man, at that time, with the training and equipment at hand, did what was probably his best chance to survive... They were surrounded, 360' degrees by fire, most likely they were going to die. If he could jump on that dozer and clear the road, just maybe, somehow, with a lot of luck, he could raise the odds for survival, not only for himself, but for others also... Me and you will never know what we can or can't do in that situation. Unless you find yourself in that situation. I for one, am glad that man chose to fight for life.
My heart aches for the young woman who was forced to leave her mother after the mom wouldn’t move. I can tell that she really is kind of a mess inside; she doesn’t really know what to feel. I’m mad as hell at her mom, personally, for being a fool and putting this guilt on her daughter.
I don't understand the mentality of people like the mother in that story. A fire isn't something you can debate. You can't out-stubborn it. Your feelings don't matter in that situation. I know I speak with the benefit of hindsight, but wouldn't you rather take an abundance of caution and be proven right, than do what she did in this scenario and be stubborn and proven tragically wrong?
The power of denial... :( your mind literally lies to you, and you believe the lies. Happens all the time in many scenarios. So tragic
God rest her soul
I thank the producers for documenting the dispatchers and their stories. It’s very real to listen to someone unfortunately perish and have to pick up the next line. It’s traumatizing. But it’s what we do and will continue to do. I’m so thankful this documentary provided a little bit of insight of what we go through.
The 911 call with the trapped woman just tore through my heart. 85 lives lost and the ones who did survive lost practically everything else. I wish everyone the best of luck in rebuilding, but my advice would be to relocate eastward. I would never want to take any chance on being in a scene like that again.
Now these poor souls have to deal with the criminal California state insurance secretary. Some earthquake victims are still waiting decades for compensation.
@@morganmcgarthur9621 that is called Predatory Capitalism. In other countries they have emergency preparations set aside also, old housing did not conform to the new building codes.
@@jensnobel5843 Exactly, look at the pacific northwest US where they have the highest precipitation rates of the continental US and they still have some very big wildfires with that data in mind. The mountains and surrounding areas in Alaska the northwest territory in Canada Montana all have good precip and heavy winters with a ton of snow melt that saturates the ground and they still have massive fires as well. Moving isn't going to change anything the sad fact is a lot of the land is owned by state and federal agencies from state parks and recreation to NFS and BLM none of whom allow for controlled burns on their lands. The Bundys were actually criminally prosecuted for doing that own not only their own lands but land they leased from the state and BLM. These agencies are setting the powder keg by not allowing for controlled burns and the fuel just builds and builds. they don't hold timber companies responsible for their eco waste that they leave to further fuel a potential fire, nor do they hold negligent utility companies like PG&E accountable. After this fire a scathing report came out though few ever saw it as it was buried by the state and federal politicians to subvert accountability their own agencies faced. CalFire should have ordered evacuations much earlier when all they could do was SAR and not set a fire break nor get teams on the fire line. Incident command failed not only the citizens but the firefighters as well. Paradise was a ticking time bomb its government knew it and yet failed to warn its citizens accordingly when it was clear there was a communications and leadership issue with CalFire. IT failed its citizens. PG&E knew the forecast was not for decreased wind activity but expected increases and failed to maintain its safety protocols in favor of profits, it also failed to maintain its critical infrastructure that resulted in the fire starting, and this is highlighted in the report cause the towers for three hundred miles in both directions of the HTPL's were severely neglected and later caused at least three more fires. So I agree moving does not remove the danger at all infact because of the burn off of so much fuel it is probably a safer location than the others I mentioned above. Pressure needs to be applied to the sate and federal agencies to stop being reactive and start being proactive with wildfire prevention.
@@jericho1-4 Thank you so much for your comments as you point out many realities regarding fire risk. In other areas there is the question of massive flooding during storms or heavy rains even in areas NOT along the coasts or rivers. The governent needs to accept that the risks are real and that climate change is making every possible risk to life even worse. The fact that some of our elected officials deny this reality in favor of corporate profits and personal profit and power is truly a crime against humanity.
@@jericho1-4tyvm---but I don't know if I'd trust just some guy down the road to set off a controlled burn. And the Bundy's, it's true, don't scam our public lands as much as oil companies, but they WERE running cattle on land they hadn't leased
Suddenly I don't feel so bad about the solid month of rain and drizzle I've been sitting through.
I'm in Scotland, I hear you. Have learned to appreciate the rain and invested in proper rain gear so that we can still go out.
I'm in New York. I love living in a wet state...endless showers, dishes by hand, flushing as many times as I need, brushing my teeth six times per day, green vegetation, flowers, happy birds and critters. California needs to get on the ball and stop hemorrhaging at every turn. That's wishful thinking as nothing short of a dictator can fix the state and all its malaise. That woman just refusing to leave when her daughter begged her to is just the tip of their stupidity and incompetence. I'm writing this before I learn her outcome, but my guess is that she's charcoal. [The ding bat is dead.]
@@marcosmota1094 I've been in a powerful earthquake with New Yorkers. Hilarious to watch how just how clever you all are when you don't know what to do. You've actually won the stupidity/ignorance prize for the internet today
some actual appreciation for nature for once??? You people disgust me!
And now, for the fire claim settlement drama. However the utility that is PG&E is reconstituted, it is going to need a lot of money to recapitalize, to replace and upgrade obsolete and depreciated equipment, install monitoring systems, provide rights of way maintenance, re- engineer physical plant, provide operating systems.
No matter how much the political class protests to the contrary, at the end of the day some actors have much better lobbyists who make bigger campaign contributions.
The great impediment to this process is the amount of the claims from the fire victims.
A brief review of our Corporatist controlled nation, well, we already know how this will play out.
This was my home...that 85 people died is awful...but that 50,000 survived ... thank you butte county and god and each and every survivor❤️💔❤️❤️❤️
This story always makes me cry...hearing all the different stories...so horrible...but the one with the girls' handicapped grandfather, and his wheelchair next to the burnt hose that he was using to try to but out the flames around his home was the absolute wore for me to hear....and also the girl that had to leave her mother...I don't think I could leave without my mom...I like have made her go with me...even if I had to pick her up and out her in my car...but so tragic....I'm sure their were some families or single individuals who had no cars....maybe no friends even who got stuck there...I just can't imagine....my tears won't stop running down my face....my thoughts and prayers go out to those who who were all in any way afflicted by this fire...and for all those who parished from it may they RIP🙏💜😢
Cristina looked like she was holding back bone chilling and traumatizing emotions. I'm surprised she spoke as she did with those facial expressions.
Then came the 2020 and 2021 wildfire seasons. It's just not safe in those places unless enough containment lines are cleared in advance.
"Authority" and "order" can only do so much. If you look out your window and you see smoke and fire, then leave. Don't wait for someone to tell you to go.
Go where? For all you know, you could be heading into the danger area. Roads apparently were limited and few and far between. I get what you're saying. But in a mountain city, it's not like living in the big city. I lived in Big Bear and thank God we had no fires like this or there would lots of death. With only two main roads off the mountain, chances are it would have been worse than Paradise by far. I don't know. I've never been to Paradise, that I could remember.
jjkhawaiian shut up u boomer!
@@jjkhawaiian If you live on a hillside/mountainside and your exit path is blocked... GOOD LUCK as you are about to have first hand experience of the fire that is blocking your path.
Your BEST option is to try and gun it THROUGH the fire. Not sit and wait for the fire to burn you down.
If you see smoke or fire then LEAVE. Especially in these circumstances where it's like you are living in a powderkeg. If your exit is already "blocked" then you didn't leave soon enough. Now your only option is to hope you can get through.
At the end of the day . People relied on a system that was put in place for this reason. No one knew of how rapid it progressed. Bottomline people waited for emergency and alerts to happen but it didn't. Luckily most of everyone got out on their own without the help of the emergency til later when the fire service realised that it wasnt a normal one.
@@jjkhawaiian Do you live on the mountain? Have you ever? It goes from blue sky to hell in minutes. Most of the time and before California's massive droughts, you would be right. Now with the extended fire seasons and tinder box dry conditions for 5 months a year, this will be the new norm. Don't blame dead people. Not a good look
Frontline is just in a class of its own regarding quality reporting. I don’t believe there has ever been an investigative journalism show anywhere near as consistently strong and important.
It is a masterclass in documentary filmmaking.
It’s a master class of obnoxious reports pushing a fake narrative that easily fooled sheep swallow. Pathetic
But they made no mention, whatsoever, about the fact that Paradise intentionally reduced a main evacuation route from 4 lanes to 2. The Cal Fire report said that resulted in at least 7 of the deaths.
@@hughwoatmeigh6999 people make this sound like they set up barriers to purposely trap people that day. It was a poor decision made in 2014 by the city. The firefighters couldn't have done a better job with the circumstances. I would have left this insignificant detail out of the documentary as well because it doesn't change their statement that there wasn't a good way to get so many people out at the time of the fire.
The nurses, doctors, firefighters., they all deserve many blessings for helping save so many lives, this breaks my heart
When i was an inmate i fought several small fires in Con cal AND Paradise! Beautifull towns full of brave citizens may god bless them AND may they prosper more than ever before i thank them for the love they gave me AND my crew these towns never discriminated on us thank you all so much stay strong Paradise AND Con cal.
Thank you for your service. I wish you the very best that your life can offer you.
Good man!
Concow.
I can’t imagine how these 1st responders must feel. They did their best, but sometimes... sometimes it just doesn’t matter. God bless them.
Amen brother.
Yeah they were overwhelmed but they still did the best job they could. This just goes to show you you have to be prepared for anything because if your relying on someone else to save you when the shit hits the fan your as good as dead. I was a volunteer firefighter for 2 years and It opened my eyes alot the fd will do everything in there power to help you but sometimes it isn't enough
Thank you for that.
@@AA-bs3iy the fact that only 70 died out of a population of thousands shows how successful they were.
I will never complain about a rainy day again. Much love from Kansas, and all the victims RIP.
Thank you so much!
What those local cops and nurses did was amazing. It just happens so fast and from a Australian perspective that cop going right up to fire to help try to get people out like that's amazing actions. These people are doing as much as they possibly can. You see so many brave and strong people in these tragic events.
This was 9 years after our own Black Saturday when over 169 died and the year before the 2019 fires where it seemed like the whole east coast was ablaze. Anyone who live through Black Saturday will have PTSD watching this. Bushfires are heartbreaking as they destroy EVERYTHING in their path.
A 117 year old powerline that had never been maintained. I'm still pi$$Ed at Pacific Graft & Extortion.
None of the fires mentioned were as destructive as the Camp Fire: 85 dead, 18,000 structures destroyed, from a fire that advanced on us at the rate of 800 yards per minute. I heard at least 200 explosions from propane tanks as I evacuated. Embers the diameter of 3 to 5 inches were falling everywhere. I was awoke at 9:15 as I was ill and we were leaving at 9:30. By the time we turned the corner I looked back and our place was starting to ignite. I have not ever told my story before, except in private. Those were the best 45 years of my life. Never again.
I really miss my life in Paradise, our beautiful town, great people...after one year from the fire, I'm still having hard time to fit into my new life.
Life will get better for you soon. Sending positive support to you Tomoyo.
It is brutal the day you realize everything you worked for is in ruins. For me it was a ten year plan. Things had been going exactly to plan...until. Life is like that. I am still working on how to be wise and not wounded from life. Death, divorce, fires, loss of income...but still reasonably healthy to step outside and breathe. I will never forget living in Paradise but it was not meant that I should stay regardless of the reasons. When we realize we have "no control" and the ones we trust are also not In control, bad things happen to good people it causes anxiety. It is a lot to realize how fragile human life is and EVERYTHING we owned or put work into can all be gone from one minute to the next. Maybe learn to meditate. It helped me.
May God make it easy for u🙏
Me too. Two years ago tomorrow, hard to imagine. We are in temporary exile in Oregon. I lived in Paradise my whole life. Hang in there sweetheart. Hope to see you back home someday! Hugs and hope from this Paradise girl to you.
LINDA Day I would like to visit with residents of Paradise.
The first few minutes of this brought back the memories of fear and terror I had when this fire started. I just got home from class when I got a call from my girlfriend at Butte, saying that classes were cancelled because of a fire. She could see the flames and the smoke was choking out the sky. It wasn’t too long after that until the smoke reached my town, we couldn’t see anything and had to wear masks when we went outside. The smoke was so bad that my classes were cancelled and my boss cancelled work due to the breathing conditions. You could literally see ash falling from the sky and I live well over an hour away from Paradise. It was a day or two after that when we could see the light of the fires during the night on the edge of town, almost 40 miles away and the light lit up the horizon. People came from over an hour away to stay in our fairgrounds, either living out of their cars or in tents. When I visited my girlfriend in her town I always had to drive by their fairgrounds full of the evacuees, just seeing these families in tents and the clothes off their backs. I was so relieved when the fire was finally over but after seeing all the destruction...it just hurts. I could never imagine living through what everyone else did, I ended up getting a week or two off from work and class while others lost their homes and lives...Even a year later when my friend and I drove up through Paradise to pay our respects it was still a harrowing experience....
I am a camp fire victim and my mom was actually taking me to school while this happened. I’m happy she didn’t drop me off. my great aunt is a teacher at the ponderosa school and she was on a bus with all her students she said it was horrible. None of my family was harmed but sadly one of my neighbors didn’t make it.
My mouth was on the floor nearly the entire video. I can't get my brain to imagine being one of these poor souls. I think one of the most eye opening parts was the moment the car got through the darkness of the fire and hit daylight on the other side. Sent chills up my spine when I truly realized the gravity of that fire.
Joe Kennedy saved so many more people than this video shows. His decision was incredible
I thought I'd heard a bulldozer story up around the Optimo parking lot where people were stuck. Was that Joe too?
Gaia So It was. He’s a straight up hero. I lived there also
A J It’s always so amazing to hear about people who make a really quick judgement call, and end up doing the exact right thing at the right time. I am so grateful to anyone who does this for others, and if I am ever able to, I hope to help others this way as well. Joe Kennedy is a massive HERO.
AH
Who is Joe Kennedy ? I'd like to know more about him ! Yes , I agree ! I would like to hear more of the heros !
I've cried almost every day since 8:05 am on Nov 8th of last year. I just want my home back... I want my security, and I want my life back. Luckily, we had insurance... luckily, our babies (dogs), and my husband & I got out.... luckily, my husband and I were already in Chico for work, and we did not have to endure what others did who were trying to escape in their cars, or worse, on foot. There are a lot of things here to be grateful for in the aftermath of this nightmare, but I always find myself sad, and teary eyed. I want our beautiful town back... I want what it was, not what it is now... I want my neighbors, and I want my cousins back in town with us, they were literally just down the street... now it's different, it's a different world that we are still trying to navigate through. But, we are strong, we are Paradise Strong... and, we will come back. It will take years to get to where we were, but, it will be such a beautiful town once again. After a long year and a lot of meetings, and a lot of tears and decisions, we signed our check for our permits about 2 months ago, and another check for our new house about 2 weeks ago. We were really hoping to be in our new home, back in Paradise, before the holidays, but unfortunately that cannot happen. We just have to be patient. There are so many people who are without family, pets, a home to live in temporarily, and freezing & hungry without power... I am thankful for my parents who are sheltering us right now, they have been such a huge help with our dogs who don't have a fenced in yard anymore, while my husband & I are at work during the week... we are thankful for them, and for all the support we've gotten over this last year. I pray every day for those of you who are still struggling. Time heals all. If I can offer some words to you - it's to get out there and be strong every day, and make something happen for yourself. Don't be a victim... be a survivor! Thank you to the men & women who fight our fires every year. You are heroes, and things would have been even worse without you. Thank you.
God bless you and help you through this struggle...prayers from Sacramento ❤
I'm so sorry for your loss. This video made me cry. This is horrible. Shame on PG&E. This is so heartbreaking.
@Colin Thiel "you're" a fool moron.
@@HeatherBoo916 God? Grow up stupid
Can't tell you how many times I've said, "I want to go home".
Being a survivor of the Camp fire watching this for the first time brings back a lot emotions from that day. I was out of the town by 830 am and was sitting at California park in Chico by 9am. The best way to explain my thoughts are total confusion and disbelief. The best way to describe what I seen was as we were running out the first responders were running in. I must have seen at least 30 ambulances and many more police, fire trucks and 1st responders coming up from Chico. I was lucky I got out quick. Many people had to endure an entire day of fear. We were very fortunate we did not loose 1000s of people in this fire. 1st responders are why we did not. I live on the same property as I did before the fire. what use to be a park like setting is now wide open dirty land that lost all its beauty.
I’m glad you made it! What an absolute nightmare
How are things in your neighborhood looking now?
I went through a similar situation in 2017 (Tubbs) and still remember so much from that morning.
Such a terrible tragedy in Paradise. I hope you were able to rebuild and move forward.
@1acer866 just finished my home. Town has along way to go. Still ugly from dead trees and brush. It will take decades for town to return.
@@sugardog1000 Congrats on the new house 🏡
Good on the bloke in the Dozer! bloody legend
Bushfire is something were all too familiar with here in Australia, So thankful for the help given to us by the Californian firefighters and proud to return the favor.
38:03 those cats aren’t designed to flipped burning cars over that guy had some balls and integrity to do that
Yes, Too bad there not a medal like the Medal Of Honor for civilians. That dozier guy should get one.
I probably missed the part where the cats showed up.
@@ecervantesramirez "Cat", Caterpillar dozer.
@@briankistner4331 There is its called the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Or at least that's the best equivalent.
My grandparents are buried in paradise California, my mom was raised in paradise California. Her childhood house burned down. It was sad to see all the childhood memories go up in smoke
I’m so very very sorry for your loss my condolences 🙏🙏🙏😭😭😭😭
I’m so glad I got to grow up in paradise. It’s so sad that it will never be the same. I remember my first time driving through town after the fire and it broke my heart. In retrospect there could have been so many more casualties if everybody had the fend for themselves mentality but the community came together to help each other and ultimately that saved thousands of lives. It’s still hard going back into paradise and seeing 3 1/2 years later it is still nothing like it once was.
Don't care, you got to live in paradise, while the rest of us suffer.
The winds were above average weeks prior. 8 hrs previous they kept me up all night. At 620 am my husband smelled smoke and drove to the ridge looking east. The whole forest ridge was burning and moving like water. One must act without prompting.
Of all the videos I've watched about the fire we lived through this documentary is the most helpful for understand the timeline of what happened, and how very very close we came to being engulfed as we evacuated.
We were SO lucky. Others, including our cat and all the wildlife and trees we were surrounded by, were not.
This documentary was well put together. Good job Frontline. And god bless everyone who lived in Paradise.
How about blessing all the people who were burned alive trying to escape? And it was in the thousands. Thanks to Agenda 21 the roads were one lane instead of two.
@@seedplanter7173 like I said EVERYONE who lived in Paradise..
@@OCityHardcoreBeatz Touch'e
God doesn't bless people who elect leaders who cremate their care in Satanic rituals! You people deserve everything you get!
@@tjlightningbolt - Think about how stupid you sound. These people aren't liberals (for the most part). They don't live in SF or LA, and like mine, their vote is worthless for the most part. Most of these people live a quiet rural life. They are land owners, farmers, ranchers, gun owners, - it is little different than rural Texas. They don't care about politics, and see themselves removed from the big city political machine which ruins the state.
My heart aches for all of you, I was living in Marysville which I'm still living here, it was so smokey and I couldn't even imagine of what people went threw, but all I could do was just keep everyone in my prayers. I was going threw my own grief of loosing my boyfriend around that time frame and then that fire in Paradise started and all I could do was pray for the ones that lost their lives also the survivors that made it out of there. I have a lot of spiritual gifts and I felt so much emotions from everyone, I was so overwhelmed with grief that I couldn't help but to keep crying. I was crying so much that I had forgotten about my own lose because I was to busy worring about everyone there and then I felt guilty for not feeling for my lose of my boyfriend that had passed away, but he came to me in a dream and told me that it was alright he understood also he said he knew where my heart is and was. My prayers and deepest condolences goes out to the families that lost their loved ones and to the survivors my prayers to all of you because you're going to get through this was an extremely bad thing that all of went through you'll get through this because you're meant to do something greater. It's not you faults that a lot of people lost their lives because it was their time to be with the lord and it wasn't your time to go, but they're all at peace and you're going to be alright. I have prayed my hardest for the survivors and for the ones that lost their lives!
These Drs and nurses deserve medals for saving hundreds and hundreds of lives young and old
I thought almost a year later would feel different, but it feels like yesterday. Everything has just been a blur.
If anything it's gotten worse. I was in tears for most of this show. And I am no longer in denial. The healing process has begun, but it's going to be a long hard road to travel. God bless you sister!
It's called information overload
May you find peace. It was just awful but remember all the good done by the people of paradise and the lives that were saved by 1st responders.
@@nitefox4411 Thank you friend. I do have peace, but I forget sometimes and turn my back on Him. Your words are wise it could have been so much worse! This prayer covers it all:
Father God,
We thank You for sustaining us and allowing us to reach this day. For giving us another year of life. We remember those that perished a year ago today in the fire and we were blessed to call them our family and friends. We now cherish every day of life not taking it for granted and we thank You, that You rescued so many of us and we were able to escape the flames. We do not understand why You allowed this fire, yet we trust that You are loving and sovereign and that you work all things out for the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.
Thank You for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ in this life and for all eternity. Thank You that we know that we will see our loved ones and friends again. We pray for those who do not have that hope today, that they will seek You and that they will receive the free gift of salvation made possible through the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus on the cross. We acknowledge that You alone are God and that You are worthy of all praise and glory and thanksgiving. We acknowledge and believe that You love us and that We can fully trust You. So we humble ourselves before You today and repent of our pride and arrogance and rebellion. Only You can heal our land and restore what we have destroyed both physically and spiritually. Please have mercy on us and pour out Your Holy Spirit in power, reviving and renewing Your people and rescuing many others as they come into a saving faith in Your Son Jesus Christ. We ask that You will do this to Your glory and for the sake of Your great name.
In Jesus name
Amen
💔💔💔💔😥😥💔💔💔💔
"You can't throw a business in jail."
No. But you can revoke their license to operate - effectively shutting the doors on their business - for breaking the law.
Let's start trying THAT. After all if they're an ethical business they have nothing to fear.
Thu you do have a point but they didn’t say buisiness they said corporation. They are different. And plus they are the number one electricity provider in North America so they can’t simply shut it down
@@calebmoore7406 Shut em down. Let the outrage full change for good in the country.
California should immediately exert eminent domain over PG&E. PG&E is committing rampant mass murder and obliteration of the state. How unconscionably evil!
@@thereseember2800 They helped get Gov Newsom into office he isn't going to do shit. Government doesn't give a fuck about the people. Only thing the Government cares about is money. If they can cut corners to save a few bucks even at the expense of a few lives so be it.
You want to shut down a utility? So, no electricity and no gas?
One of the GREATEST documenties EVER!!
46:50 as sad as it is the man fought till the end I have massive respect for him
This is one incredible documentary! My heart goes out to all affected.
I'm from the area. Don't you dare blame the firefighters or any of the first responders. They are the only reason far more people didn't die. They are heroes.
i know right, its like, its awful what happened but, if you lack the common sense to leave when its blatantly obvious even to those untrained that this fire is getting out of control and poses an immediate danger to you, that's just a darwin award at that point. some of these accounts i hear about just, leave me without words honestly
@@jacobtvobrien9546 you'd be right except that many many people tried to leave and got caught trying to get out and because of there being only two roads going west and out of town, east and north and south not being an option, both of which had been narrowed from 4 lanes in some places down to two because of some kind of environmental issue and as a way to regulate traffic. Show with one hole Lane being closed to traffic so they can get fire equipment up into the mountains to try to fight the fire all those people fleeing, even the ones who left as soon as they seen smoke, ended up getting caught in the massive traffic jam, that was like Exodus, trying to get off the mountain. Also where the fire approach the town there was a gigantic Canyon in the lake in between it and the town and normally there's no way this fire could have crossed that Gap but with the wind conditions because it just happened to have started right at the time that daily wind event occurs in the canyon because atmospheric pressure and the heat coming from the Sun or lack of it causing high winds at Sunset and Dawn so the fire basically flew over a gap that would have been impossible otherwise and was up and into the town before anyone really knew it that it was in town then after that being a town full of dry ice Big Pine trees and such that were just like matches soaked in gasoline is waiting to burst it was just a matter of minutes before the entire town was basically engulfed in a firestorm. I live about 18 miles away but the fire reached closer than that and you look like a giant winter storm from down here except it was made out of fire and smoke. There's also power outages and problems getting the emergency broadcast system working so not you everyone was even told about it and many people are still sleep cuz the fire began at like 6:45 in the morning or something like that, many people woke up with their houses on fire now you play sing videos where people had lots of time because they were people who are already up and paying attention and they're trying to help people but as for the majority of the population that didn't go like that most people I know barely even got out of there and head to the fire and many of them had to drive into fire or through the fire after it already passed. The fire was traveling faster than the cars were.
@@jacobtvobrien9546 What made the fire so deadly wasn’t the fact that people stood around, waiting. It’s that they had very little time to change their minds. Everybody knows to run away from fire. But smoke? Not exactly panic-worthy. Besides, smoke is a common thing in California. We don’t drop everything and bolt just because the smoke gets a little bit thick. Nothing would get done if we treated every smoky day like harbingers of looming firestorms. Last week, an area just outside of my town had a 14-acre fire. It ignited a few spot fires in town, dropped some larger chunks of ash even further away, some of which landed in my own backyard. Nobody was worried, because these things happen. That fire was contained within hours. The town didn’t close down. Nobody evacuated. Why? Because these things happen and it never seems to be an issue.
For Paradise, it ended up being an issue. But the fire moved very, very fast. Above the ground, the winds were blowing at almost a hundred miles per hour. Even on the ground, the winds were still quite quick. The main fire was igniting spot fires in the town, miles away. So many people were outflanked and encircled long before they even knew what was going on. The town was already burning when the flame front reached it. It shocks me that so many people managed to get out. It was expecting a toll in the hundreds, if not thousands. There is no outrunning a fire like that, not on foot. Driving is your only chance. If you went down the wrong road and got cut off from behind, it was over for you.
Believe it or not, there was no Darwin Award Show that day. Nobody who died that day made an informed decision. All of that confusion, terror, and death came by complete surprise.
@DisealBitches I was like 20 miles away and and you could feel the Earth vibrate from the energy the fire was creating. People just don't understand how it is..
People don't appreciate how fast these things move (and create their own weather systems). I went to Concow Elementary. There was once a fire on the hill North of the school. We evacuated but not before I got a glimpse of seeing the line of the fire. It does not spread even rapidly as one would think. Instead the tree(s) next to the line would explode trunk to top in flame. I can only imagine what the Campfire spread looked like with high winds. First time I've had the courage to watch this or any other documentary on the fire. I have found memories of Paradise, it's where we went to the movies after we "came down the hill." Even at 12-13yo my mind loved all the gorgeous tree covered lots but wondered about fire danger.
Closer up our way (north and east of Concow) we had our share of close calls. Once a fire engine set up an unofficial base on our ten acres. Dad would make them breakfast and coffee every morning for that week or so.
First responders did a damn fine job (from what Mom tells me living in Oroville now). Fire is part of life up there, but this one was a beast of another level
my aunt and uncle were asleep until about 9 am and they didnt know that the fire was in paradise. until they looked out there window there was literal fire outside of their home and the fire was going so fast. so my aunt and uncle got on atvs and they went and took cover behind a rock they were surrounded by fire and it was closing in on them. my uncle jumped on top of my aunt and saved her life fire went down his throat which caused respiratory issues while my aunt only got burnt on the legs and feet. A police man found them and brought them to a hospital out side of paradise my uncle was then transported to uc davis and 9 months later passed away i miss you so much Paul. RIP 1966-2019
I remember seeing their stories on the news. I was incredibly saddened hearing about your Uncles death. I'm so sorry
I live down the street from them. We stayed here during the fire. I wish they could have come to our property. I have felt so bad for them these last 4 yrs. God bless them both.
@@AM1999 😥😥
It's crazy how fast and destructive this fire grew into a monster. Rest in peace to those that lost there lives in this fire, especially those four people that were trapped in a basement with the bedridden man, couldn't imagine how scary that could've been
those 911 operators deserve free therapy for the rest of their lives. i can't imagine. horrible on all accounts.
Thank you, PBS. This is valuable content. Heartbreaking, but valuable.
Nothing but tears for the good people of Paradise and what they have endured. Those 911 calls from people who may have died, just breaks my heart. Love from an also burned Lake County.
I am so so thankful my Grandmother was out of town this day. She would have had no way out. Chills thinking about it. I was in class at Butte when we got evacuated. Living in the next down over, life consisted of a black sky and horrible smoke for weeks upon weeks. Visiting Paradise is just so heartbreaking now.
At 8:02 the entire town of paradise was under mandatory evacuation, however I left work in Chico at 8:15 to get a friend without a car and to try and get my dogs from my house... I never received and evacuation notice and I was signed up for code red. Also, my cell phone worked perfectly the entire time I was evacuating, I was receiving calls from friends and family and I was able to call 911 on Clark road to ask for traffic control as flames were heading towards us....
It also seems like no one is talking about the fact that the town of paradise intentionally narrowed the skyway (our main road In and out of town) causing traffic to have to go from two lanes each way to one lane each way...
@anders damin Same here.
@anders damin this is the question of the decade or century. Some say Agenda 21, others say cause of poor town leadership, some say wealthy elites wanted to burn the town down so they could pick up the property for pennies on the dollar.
Jessica, I'm glad you were able to get out safely, THANK GOD!!!
I PRAY you were able to get too your pup's and rescue them??
@Marina Mansfield they narrowed the road to "encourage people to engage with businesses in town" or some shit. It's icing on the cake isn't it? They couldn't just leave it well enough alone. It's not even a mile of road that was narrowed I don't think. The stretch up the hill for about a mile more, and the stretch from the bottom of the narrowing all the way down to Chico is two lanes both ways, with a suicide lane in the middle in town for turning. It's a huge bottleneck, and it throttled evacuations yet again just 3 months ago in August, when another fire struck in pretty well the exact same place (Paradise was untouched I guess). I still haven't set foot in that town, in that county where I live, because I'm in evacuation purgatory. I can't 1) return home to exist there and 2) relocate somewhere nearby because property value is through the roof (nobody builds affordable housing, only luxury housing that likely goes unused). I have no choice as it is to do anything but sit.
@@mrmaniac3 I'm so sorry. I pray you find a solution.
44:05 was my front porch. And now the Bear fire nearby is positioned to burn down neighboring Oroville. The PTSD is almost unbearable. Not just for me, but so many people in our county.
Do you own the property or has it been deemed unbuildable or something else? There's plenty of gold under that ground.
Not bright enough to move.
@@larrysmith6797 Exactly, Someplaces are not habitable.But the greedy government don't mind you living there paying taxes wage slaving.I will not live in hurricane prone area or tornado prone area.or flood prone area.I lived around the corner from porter ranch california where the wildfires happen.But I wasn't harmed because I was living in chatworth.
@@larrysmith6797 Oroville’s in a completely different area lol, you don’t know what you’re talking about.
4 hours from start of fire to all city on fire. F*** thats incredible fast, thats horror. It's a miracle anyone got out.
Ava Goldstein
“Fire in Paradise” hit home for me. This is an extremely special documentary that I have heard about before, but never watched. The reason why I am familiar with the topic is because of where I grew up, in Topanga, California. This is an area in the canyons of Topanga, about 20 minutes from Malibu and it's known to be a dangerous fire zone. This is normal during the drier months of the year, but I owe it all to the firefighters of our community because they are so beyond prepared. The firefighters of The Camp Fire did as much as they could with the preparation that they as a community had instilled in their program. Even as recent as this summer, I had a wildfire scare right behind my home. 25- acres burned and we are all divided in zones. I am in zone ten and my parents get alerts on their phones, through Facebook groups, and the fire department themselves by phone. Every Christmas my grandma bakes them an Armenian dessert, Pakhlava, to thank them for all their work during the year. My family has been saved, along with our house, multiple times, and we owe it all to these fearless, dedicated firefighters. I appreciate hearing how Mr. Hiltner also can relate to this documentary and how frightening evacuations can really be.
It's important to listen to directions from authorities when told, but also to use your intuition. Christina Tafts’s story was extremely sad to hear. Knowing how confident she was in the fact that she needed to leave, as flames were taking over her town, but her mom insisted on staying. I wonder how she feels knowing she escaped, but her mom never got to. Her mom was talking to people on the phone, as the mass alert was not sent out that day and no one told her it was necessary to leave. Nichole Jolly’s story is also terrifying, driving through the fire by making a wrong turn and having no escape. Hearing the trauma in her voice as she explains how worried she was that her husband wouldn’t get to her, she gets out of her car and runs through the fire. That is something that nobody can recover from, all because of our climate crisis. There were trees caught on fire around her that could’ve fallen on her and ended her life in seconds, as flames engulfed the streets around her.
It's so disheartening listening to these stories, but is also a wake up call. The last documentary was more informational and worldwide, compared to this event that I remember happening just years ago. The world is getting warmer and warmer, and one day we will all be at risk. I grew up with evacuation orders every season, but that should not be the way we live. We should all feel safe in the comfort of our own homes and communities. 85 innocent lives lost because of The Camp Fire. There has to be a change.
"80 football fields a minute" jeez
that is 24,000 feet which is approximately 4.5 miles a minute!
@@paulsmallriver6066 That's 270 miles per hour. No way it was moving in a single direction that fast. I think the comparison is stating how much new area was being burned around the entire fire, not how fast it was travelling.
@@cptawesome11 that makes more sense
Ive been a volunteer in Australia for a few years now. The fastest I've seen is 200m a minute (main front not spots). Ive no idea how that translates into imperial units.
American measurements
I remember my dad telling me that California was so dry (back in 1962-64) that you could stomp on the ground up in mountains and the dust was 2-3 inches deep.
To Kristina, you made a difficult decision and I am so sorry you had this experience. It probably won't make you feel any better for ne to say this, but as a mother I feel sure that as the situation got worse, your mom was really grateful that you escaped the fire.
I can’t believe her mom refused to listen to her daughter not to mention when her daughter stepped outside with the video camera on you could see glowing red all over surrounding them…… I can’t stand the stupidity of some people like put your ego aside and listen to people who care about you. i have some family members like this they just don’t listen it’s soo frustrating it’s soo sad for Kristinas loss.
@Josh-py9rq There was ash falling everywhere, dark red sky at 9am like it was middle of the night. Smoky outside and you can hear crackling, you know what I did? Put my 1 year baby down for a nap because "if we have to leave" he will need a nap first.... you can't judge someone's actions like that. You have no idea what is going through their mind, I have no idea what was going through my own.
Wheelchair grandpa was blessed to have such a precious granddaughter
Spreading at 80 football fields a minute...incredible.
Norma Andersson I know. Catastrophically intense!
Seven miles in an hour and a half is faster than walking speed .
Its called electromagnetic fire human made special for agenda 21
@@seedplanter7173 Fake news much? Do you like being a troll? Piss off.
@@seedplanter7173 ..
That was one of the most intense PBS Frontline episodes I have EVER seen! I cannot imagine how scary it would be driving through fire like that.
I agree. Starting crying g about 5 minutes in.
... FIRE.
🔥
i have watched this three times, and it brings me to tears every time. what everyone endured...
It’s a very sad story but it’s also a great salute to these fire fighters who put their lives for us without worrying about their family
That bulldozer operator is an absolute hero
This was a great episode. As a Northern Californian it gave me the creeps. So sad.
My brother shot all the interviews and was up there for a month. Neither he or his AC got a credit in the US but did in the UK. They are trying to get that straightened out. Just heartbreaking... but a very valuable documentary.
🚒🔥... FIRE
It was almost two years ago in Rosemont California one of the fires was raining down ash. Near Sacramento. It looked like snow flurries. Half the sky was dark.
Sorry for everyone, the young girl who lost her grandfather like that was particularly 💔heartbreaking.
He was an amazing man. That was my uncle tk. I will never forget him. This is my first time I’ve been able to watch this documentary. Jordan is an amazing person. I live in wv and it was just unreal to hear what was happening and be unable to do anything. Tk would do anything in his power to make us happy as kids. He was amazing
Blame is easy, understanding is hard.
My God. It was hell on earth. To those who fight the fires, they are men of men.
très grand respect chez les pompiers californien
And woman of woman
Thank you Frontline!
Is this about the Camp fire ? Im not ready yet. Still recovering from the Carr Fire 😢😢😢😢
5 years later and I'm just now able to sit and watch this 💔 Thankful we all escaped in time and survived. Prayers to those family members who lost their loved ones.
sorta kinda puts into perspective that Supreme court deciction that said corporations are people... If corporations are people then why can't we jail every single board member of PG&E?
Because the evil spoiled-rotten elitists wouldn't like that. Even though they have way more money than most actual working people, easily enough to buy/run a natural gas Generac backup generator. Well if Commiefornia actually has 24-7 supply of natural gas? Or did I hear somewhere that they have problems with that also? Well perhaps there is diesel then, what the hospitals use for backup.
On that note- what is to stop each block from clearing brush- with or with out a permit.
@@turboredcart
They are educated follow-the-crowd lemmings. Free responsible people do not need permits. Permits and licenses are for slaves. Under the Constitution, most of what the corrupt government does, is unconstitutional. Much of what the corrupt government does, is actually illegal. So when are we going to prosecute politicians for going against the Constitution with no permit from us the taxpayers and voters for doing so?
@@turboredcart who fucking cares about a permit to save lives
@@turboredcart Almost forgot...
It's also worth noting that not only are permits not required for clearing brush, everyone is actually supposed to clear brush & maintain their land.. And if they dont, & they allow it to get overgrown & dry creating a fire hazard they can be fined too! In Lake County property owners are issued notices telling them when it has to be done by, giving them plenty of time to take care of it. (This year the deadline was June 1st, and the local gov pages posted lots of reminders.) If weed abatement isnt taken care of by the deadline ppl can receive a fine by the county for every day until its done. And ppl are better off doing it sooner than later, not jst because of the fines but also because come mid-June it's not safe to mow or totertil it anymore because metal blades can hit rocks sparking a fire. (Last year one of my neighbors waited too long, and they hired this boy to cut the tall dead grasses on their property, & the poor kid had to cut it all down w/ a little weed-wacker that had a plastic cord. Took him 3 days! And knowing them they pry didnt pay very well either. I was watching frm our bedroom window thinking how bad that job had to suck. But the kid was a damn hard worker, & in 100° heat w/o shade too!)
I remember this day like yesterday. I still get the biggest chills and tears, I pray for everyone who was affected.
"...and taking out their car seats..."
Oh my...
Why this phrase struck so close to my heart I know not...
To everyone who evacuated patients and staff from the hospital...
Bravo...
May all of the patients...most especially those coming straight out of surgery...find themselves fully recovered by now...
Quite a few documentry makers have focused on the fire that burned through Paradise...
The head teacher or head mistress of the school together with her staff and pupils being stuck in the traffic jam inside of their school bus and what they too endured...left with me a lasting impression of courage...bravery and resilience...
I am left with the same emotional response to those who helped others before themselves when loading patients...sometimes more than one...into their own private vehicles...caring for them and saving their lives...whilst no doubt worrying about the circumstances of their own families...
Heroes all...
🇿🇦
My condolences go out to everyone that was affected by this tragic event😓
Please be safe and if the authorities tell you to evacuate, please listen to them. You can replace belongings but not people!
Iron Mikes famous quote "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face"
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
I'm sure that Tyson didn't coin that phrase, it's as old as boxing, but he was still right to say it.
There simply was not enough time We had only a few minutes at the most. When we were told to evacuate my ex had the car and was out of town because I had a restraining order against her. I have a 3 year old and a 4 year old daughter and they both require child safety seats.. My house was located on Pentz road which at that time was a evacuation route that only takes about 12 minutes to get you down the mountain to safety. I stood on Pentz with my two daughters and attempted to hitch hike a ride and watched in horror and disbelief as cars refused to stop for 15 seconds and pick us up as they drove to safety. Most of the vehicles only had one driver and no occupants and plenty of room. I could see the fire heading very quickly right at us fueled by 70 plus mph winds. There were loud explosions from propane tanks blowing up and fire was raining down from the sky igniting everything it landed on including myself. Finally a woman was on my street checking on her friend saw what was happening and immediately picked us up but a minute before they closed down Pentz as an evacuation route. They instead re-routed us on a road which quickly turned out to be a death trap. Total suicide in a more dense forest. The road was very narrow and the heart or eye of the fire was headed right at it stronger than ever. People were directed down Pearson road only to find it was a parking lot that wasn't moving surrounded by fire and smoke so thick and dark you could not see the sun. It was like midnight with no moon or stars shining. People behind us blocked anyone from backing up.. People panicked and some got out of their cars and attempted to make a run for it. Many didn't make it very far because of the high heat and smoke inhalation and their clothes were catching on fire. Those abandoned cars effectively blocked the road and people just 50 feet behind them had no idea and were sitting ducks.
The woman that picked us up saved our lives. The fire engulfed my home and surrounding area including my yard only 10 minutes after she picked us up. None of us should be here right now. We were totally engulfed in flames and both the woman and I were on our cell phones saying goodbye to people. It was about 150 degrees in the cab and my kids were screaming. I covered them with my jacket and knew it would be all over in less than a minute. By the grace of god the car in front of us moved forward about 30 feet and we quickly moved forward enough to get out of the fireball. I got out to make sure our truck was not on fire. On the left side I saw about a dozen bodies. Some holding their pets. The problem is my 4 year old daughter witnessed exactly what I saw. We are alive but my daughter is having some terrible nightmares. I have had a child psychologist keeping close tabs on her. When I get the time I will seek help myself. I have never experienced anything so horrible in my entire life. It has had a very profound effect on my life. Losing my home and everything I owned seems so minuscule. I am more than grateful we survived. There was no traffic control, cops, firemen or anything on that road. We were just herded into a huge ceramics kiln to fend for ourselves and most everyone there was not thinking straight at all. Just reacting to the heat, lack of air and their clothes catching on fire. I cannot speak for the rest of Paradise but I can say what I saw where I was at early that morning on Pearson road. I kept wondering where the huge air tankers were. I felt a moment of relief when I heard what sounded like a huge jet somewhere above us so I got out again to look and quickly discovered the sound I was hearing was the fire on steroids.
I'm glad you made it out, of course. I'm also more than a little appalled that it took so long to get a ride. I can't imagine just driving past someone fleeing a wildfire. I won't even drive past a ditched car in the daytime without at least checking on the situation to see if they need/I can help. Yikes.
Where were the bodies holding their pets. Were they in cars or were they just on the side of the road?
@@christinalynnemelchior9282 many people got out of their cars and made a run for it because we were in a traffic jam, gridlocked. No cars were moving.
It's remarkable how many small (and large) towns are swallowed up with a sea of forest all over the hills of California. Seems a time humans, in that area, and areas with very like conditions forming, consider what sort of systems to envision and environments to create, which truly provide protections for our lives, loved ones and our livelihoods..
.. it's going to take a lot of resources, but as you know personally, the cost of not doing it may be much greater.
Blessings Geoff to you and all your loved ones as for those that were granted, have another chapter in life to live and write.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Despite the traumatic psychological effects on one of your daughters, I’m so glad you all are safe! Long road ahead to rebuild what you lost I’m sure but you are here alive.
I volunteered after this fire and met so many victims that lost so much of their families. I haven’t wanted to watch this since it came out but decided to now. I spent a month driving from Vacaville to Chico every day while recovering from a broken vertebrae in a car accident and after meeting all the people that lost so much my back pain didn’t seem so important. My step father is a fire captain for San Jose and sent fire fighters up to paradise and they came back damaged from what he said. So sad. This fire effected so many people not even just from the area. This will be such a bad memory to so many people for the rest of their lives. Rest In Peace to everyone that lost their lives in this tragedy. 🙏🏽
Hats off to you Joe Kennedy, aka bulldozer. You’re a very brave man
Hero
The girl on her grandfather story..She's just strong. May All that died RIP
Frontline is hitting it out of the park this year. Every week is a compelling story.
Don't ever talk again
Our thoughts and prayers to those affected by this horrible tragedy. Remembering you all on this solemn day.
I live about 50 miles from Paradise and our cars and houses were covered in ash during the Camp Fire. This was such an awful fire. I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been. I can't believe there were just 84 deaths. That is way too many lives to lose especially in this way. So many systems failed. Watching this makes my heart hurt. I just feel so badly for the community of Paradise. 💞
The statement before here ^^ was my initial reaction to the video I watched. That was before reading some of these comments.
After reading just a couple comments and the reply's I realize the problem. Apparently, too many people don't listen or pay attention to what they watch. Seriously?!
PG&E is Americas largest power company. Any idea how many thousands of miles of lines they own. If they cut every tree under and around their lines that would be a problem for people.
If the town of Paradise (planning commission, city leaders, who ever) had built a four lane road after realizing there was a potential problem in 2008 they would been wrong for that.
Nothing anyone does is right or good anymore. They can't win.
My point is this was a multi system failure. There is no one entity to blame. The fire and police departments and the residents did the very best they could and it could have been so much worse. This was a tragedy- period.
It's very easy to sit there and say blah blah blah but it wouldn't hurt to figure out how to be able to be a bit more sensitive. No one sets out to hurt people ESPECIALLY not first responders..
Great response. Trying to place blame can sometimes be a way to feel control--in the face of a fire that was beyond human control. You stated this very well.
🤪🤷♂️🤡
It is a multi system failure, but one thing NOT reflected well in the doc, is that this is a fairly rural area with limited infrastructure and resources. People have been moving/retiring to these areas for years. They benefit from low taxes, then are enraged when there's limited emergency services. There's maybe a couple sheriff deputies. No planning Commission. Yes, there's a city or county council with extremely limited funds. Residents don't show up to emergency planning meetings and it seems many were pretty uninformed.
If you live in the rural west, you need to have plans for SELF-evacuation. This isn't blaming- there simply aren't enough services for everyone. Get VERY involved in local planning. Form a Fire Safe Council. Another rural community had success by taxing itself a modest fee and staffing their own local fire team. If you can't do these things, then a more suburban area with infrastructure is a safer choice. I really feel for people in these fire zones, but people need to understand the limits of rural life too.
@@eh3477 I think you're right about some of this. The growth was not properly planned out. It seems the county had proposed some plans but they were not popular. The situation was too much for the resources. The first responders and the community members did everything they possibly could. However, in this particular fire there were so many factors or wild cards. Every wildcard came at once. No one had seen that happened before. This is fire country. We all know forest fires are a real possibility in the summer months. I personally have been evacuated many times in my life. I've had no reason not to trust the system. Honestly, imo it is not possible to just up and evacuate every time we smell smoke. It didn't matter in this fire anyway. There was only one way out because of where the fire was and it came into town way too fast.
It's been a while since I commented but I believe my comment was in response to the seriously ignorant and insensitive comments people were making. This was one of the most deadly fires in the history of California. This was not a normal everyday occurrence... I'm pretty sure they did have their own fire team and dispatch. Ultimately, this was a huge disaster and should have, could have, would have are not going to help anyone. I think we have all learned from it and that is what we should be doing.
I couldn't ever imagine having to go through that. Damn
Yeah, it really sucked. Still does actually.
weirdly, this is my favorite thing to hear as a camp fire survivor.
I held the ashes of people and dreams on my finger. Sacramento was blanketed for a week solid and I will never forget the sky as grey and mirroring our emotions then.
- my personal testimony
I lived in Chico during the camp fire... I remember the sky blazing orange for days. Like the pain was physically manifesting all around.
... FIRE 🚒🔥
We did not get ash from that fire, but we did in fall of 2020. Unreal. In Rosemont, 15 miles east of Sacramento. Like snow flurries.
I have never been able to go to Paradise since the fire. My family had lived there many years. They passed away before the fire but it made me heartsick when I realized a fire was going through the town. I am not religious but that morning I prayed for the people trying to get out on the Skyway. There were so many elderly people there. The community my family lived in is gone. Last year the Caldor fire blazed through a town where many of our childhood friends grew up. Then it raced toward my hometown, a town so much like Paradise. The entire area was immediately evacuated, with the lesson of Paradise fresh in everyone’s mind. I don’t know how they did it but the firefighters managed to divert the fire to the east. Within a day that same fire bore down on Lake Tahoe. Again the firefighters diverted the fire to avoid the city. Firefighters are attempting to do the impossible, keeping a state so overgrown with fire fuel that fires are inevitable. That fuel must be cut or burned. Hopefully the politicians will pay attention but, except for empty promises, nothing is happening.
Frontline has a way of telling stories more compelling than fiction TV. Because of its excellent presentation/journalism I've
watched almost all of their documentories
congratulations to all Frontline personell on your professionalism. Hope you to continue
long into the future .
These are the best in the business
Everyone in OR/WA/CA stay safe.
And yet PGE execs still cash their huge bonus checks. It makes me sick to hear PGE apologists in this segment.
Don't confuse "PG&E apologists" with those who recognize the REAL cause of PG&E's failures...CPUC's policies of "buy high sell low" that bankrupted PG&E twice in 10 years and is the reason they don't have enough money to maintain infrastructure. Californians need to quit voting for big government.
They need to please their lobbyists
@@shimagaijin4552 exactly, it just sucks they're all fleeing to our states and then voting for the same bs that drove them out. They're incapable of making the connection and their stupid cycle forever continues
that is not the issue ...Climate change is making todays fires very explosive vs 40 years ago, most forest was hydrated and the fires were very small did not move much.
I am glad this is on RUclips we should NEVER forget this Fire
Frontline. I love the work you do. Keep it up
PG&E seems to display quite sketchy behavior...
Thats because the owners are real big on killing the peasants and paving the way for agenda 21. FYI
Alex Landherr Pacific Graft and Extortion as my friend refers to them as he used to work for them
@Alex Landherr You got that right.
1. Nobody at PBS asked them why they had hundreds of pg&e workers/subcontractors in a camp set up 5 miles west of our town for weeks prior to the fires.
2. Nobody at PBS asked why there was a helicopter circling the town for 45 minutes 2 weeks before the fire. They had never done that before. Almost as if they were strategizing something. The military does that before they conduct operations.
3. Nobody at PBS asked why PG&E texted people warning them to "have a plan ready" on the Monday and Tuesday of the week of the fire. I have been on the PG&E alert list for years before the event and never received anything like that before. But the week of the most devastating fire in California history, they send out texts. Almost as if they are planning on using that as a defense against their "negligence" in court proceedings.
4. If PG&E was aware that there was an elevated risk which seems evident by the unprecedented texts, how were the town leaders caught so off guard and unable to give us all a warning that morning? Why did I have to learn about the hazard approaching my town through Facebook posts!!! Mainstream media and officials with badges demand respect and ridicule "self proclaimed" journalists and "self identified" investigators (aka conspiracy theorists"), yet when it comes time for those trusted and "self bestowed" entities to make a difference, it's every man for himself or "we just didn't have enough time to alert" or whatever else they claim.
5. The Rothschild family were identified as the "guardians of the papal fortune" in the early 1900's. Agenda 21 is a creation of the UN. The Rothschild's have a stake in PG&E. If the Rothschild's are playing with Vatican money and are indirectly responsible for starting a fire that supports another Vatican proxy's agenda (the UN's agenda 21), is it really a "conspiracy theory" to start asking questions regarding all of the strange circumstances that made this fire so horrendous?
@@NotOfThisWorld567 Media today is woefully inadequate. Oddly tho- PBS is funded in large part from the listener. Every single bad event they scold us about climate change... it gets in the way of the story. For those who worry about global warming, you will stop using disposable diapers- you will not drive kids to school... AC is not for schools... everywhere in the country the power lines get the brush cleared away.. I mean that is standard opporating procedure... I suppose tho this is a crises that the best and the brightest... never seen it coming
@@seedplanter7173 The Rothschilds are the owners and the Newsom, Pelosi, Feinstein and Brown families are their capos.
Breaks my heart. Still. Every time I think of it.
I lived across the canyon from Paradise for ten years but moved into town in 2015 due to the constant fire risk. My house sat on 3.5 acres and I was a maniac about keeping the lot clear of as much fuel as possible. That was my weekend. The fire was devastating and I know many people who lost their homes and pets. Thankfully, I do not know persons who lost their lives. Paradise was a disaster waiting to happen. When I moved to the area in 2002, I was sown a few houses up there. I looked around at six inches of dry pine needles EVERYWHERE, streets and roads that were one car wide, houses surrounded by pine trees, each one with a propane tank and commented to the real estate agent: "If a fire ever gets hold here, it will be all over." She seemed irritated. Paradise is rebuilding. The pine trees are growing back. The roads are just as narrow. It is still on a ridge with very limited escape routes. I do not know of any zoning or code changes.
So you’re saying that there were ways that some of the risks could have been mitigated? Why would the fire marshal not institute them?
@@Nutmeg142 It seems obvious that some of the risk could have been mitigated. Fromwhat I have read in local media, the city hired a new fire chief a few years before the fire and that he tried to begin addressing the issue only to encounter pushback from all directions. He resigned in less than a year. Paradise was a Gold Rush town and very much a small town with people who have lived therefor generations. For example, I met someone from there whose extended family lost twenty-six homes in the fire. Small, historic towns are often averse to change.
I had to stop this video 19:04 in. I am not anywhere close to the type of person to easily display my sensitive, emotional side, but Oh my God, this is beyond absolutely terrifying.
Ugh, that's exactly where I had to stop and take a moment to collect myself as well.
Sensitive is manly
That hurtz
I'm a man and my heart are weak against such things.