people panicked most when they were alone: Ripley, Unthinkable, p. 152.
OBSERVATION: SARA’S CALL
Interviews: Cal Fire dispatcher Beth Bowersox; Paradise Police sergeant Steve Bertagna.
Her husband, Marshall: Michael Cabanatuan, “Sara Magnuson, 75, Lived Alone in Paradise,” San Francisco Chronicle, December 10, 2018, sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/Sara-Magnuson-75-lived-alone-in-Paradise-13456007.php.
had run a jewelry business: Jason Green, “Sara Magnuson Lived Alone, Struggled After Husband’s Death,” Chico Enterprise-Record, January 23, 2019, chicoer.com/2019/01/23/camp-fire-profile-sara-magnuson-lived-alone-struggled-after-husbands-death/.
CHAPTER 13: NO ATHEISTS IN FOXHOLES
Interviews: Nurses Tammy Ferguson and Crissy Foster; pediatrician David Russell; Paradise Fire chief David Hawks; Heritage staffers Jill Fassler and Trudy Vaughn; paramedics Mike Castro and Sean Abrams; EMT Shannon Molarius; Butte County Search and Rescue volunteer Joe Grecco; Cal Fire firefighter Tim Moore.
Tammy called her twenty-four-year-old daughter: Los Angeles Times reporter Corina Knoll also documented Tammy’s last phone calls in a striking and widely read article published just before Thanksgiving 2018. It’s a beautiful piece and well worth the read. Corina Knoll, “As Deadly Flames Approached, a Mother Called Her Daughters to Say Goodbye,” Los Angeles Times, November 22, 2018, latimes.com/local/california/la-me-the-last-call-20181122-story.html.
“I have never felt such genuine love”: The entire letter recommending Tammy for the Daisy Award can be found at daisyfoundation.org/daisy-award/honorees/tammy-ferguson.
OBSERVATION: TEN THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE FIRE
Interviews: California Highway Patrol officers Brent Sallis and Joe Airoso; California Highway Patrol chief Brent Newman.
THE FIRE: PARTICLES OF POISON
Interviews: San Mateo County public health officer Dr. Shruti Dhapodkar; San Francisco public health officer Dr. Jane Gurley; Bay Area Air Quality Management District member Lisa Fasano; Bay Area Air Quality Management District member Dr. Judith Cutino; San Francisco Department of Emergency Management employee Francis Zamora.
More than 3.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide: Kurtis Alexander, “Camp Fire’s Climate Toll: Greenhouse Gases Equal About a Week of California Auto Emissions,” San Francisco Chronicle, November 30, 2018, sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/California-wildfires-Staggering-toll-on-forests-13432888.php.
The fine particles measured less than 2.5 microns: The makeup of smoke varies widely depending on what is burning. Smoke particles are characterized under the umbrella of “particulate matter” and are about sixty times smaller than a thread of human hair. While research is still being done, it’s believed that exposure to smoke increases the risk of cancer and other long-term health issues. “Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials,” Environmental Protection Agency, 2001, www3.epa.gov/ttnamti1/files/ambient/smoke/wildgd.pdf [inactive].
cardiac arrest for humans: Caitlin G. Jones et al., “Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests and Wildfire-Related Particulate Matter During 2015–2017 California Wildfires,” Journal of the American Heart Association 9, no. 8 (April 2020), ahajournals.org/doi/epub/10.1161/JAHA.119.014125.
as much as 70 percent more likely to occur on smoky days: Yohannes Tesfaigzi, Lisa Ann Miller, and Jed Bassein, “Wildfire Smoke Exposure and Human Health: Significant Gaps in Research for a Growing Public Health Issue,” Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 55 (August 2017), researchgate.net/publication/319385514_Wildfire_Smoke_Exposure_and_H uman_Health_Significant_Gaps_in_Research_for_a_Growing_Public_Health_Issue.
CHAPTER 14: PARADISE ABLAZE
Interviews: Bus driver Kevin McKay; teachers Abbie Davis and Mary Ludwig; student Rowan Stovall and her mother, Nicole Alderman; Cal Fire captain Sean Norman and firefighter Calin Moldovan; Paradise Police officer Rob Nichols.
Paradise Memorial Trail: Mary Nugent, “Paradise Celebrates Its Yellowstone Kelly Heritage Trail,” Chico Enterprise-Record, August 20, 2018, chicoer.com/2018/08/20/paradise-celebrates-its-yellowstone-kelly-heritage-trail/.
Minimum-security inmates: Lizzie Johnson, “Fewer Prison Inmates Signing Up to Fight California Wildfires,” San Francisco Chronicle, September 1, 2017, sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Fewer-prison-inmates-signing-up-to-fight-12165598.php.
going into diabetic shock: Lizzie Johnson, “Survival in Paradise: Remarkable Escapes as Firestorm Swept Through Town,” San Francisco Chronicle, November 18, 2018, sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/A-fire-a-newborn-baby-and-a-pact-Tales-of-13402034.php.
California had become the first state: The updated building codes can be found on the state’s website at hcd.ca.gov/building-standards/state-housing-law/wildland-urban-interface.shtml, chapter 7A.
nine out of ten houses: Paige St. John, Joseph Serna, and Ron-Gong Lin II, “Here’s How Paradise Ignored Warnings and Became a Deathtrap,” Los Angeles Times, December 30, 2018, latimes.com/local/california/la-me-camp-fire-deathtrap-20181230-story.html.
inspected 29,776 properties: This data was obtained from Cal Fire through a public records request. When asked why the one citation was issued, the records keeper couldn’t provide an answer—that information had been deleted at some point over the years.
new nuisance abatement ordinance: John Messina, who took David Hawks’s job to become the fire chief in Paradise, explained that the new ordinance, 508, encompassed many things, including nuisance abatement and California’s fire code. It was adopted after the old ordinance, 461, was rescinded. “It just went away, unbeknownst to a lot of people,” Messina said. “The fire department had been enforcing the old ordinance illegally.”
OBSERVATION: THE MAN IN THE TRASH TRUCK
Interviews: Dane Ray Cummings and Margaret Newsum.
CHAPTER 15: PROMISE
Interviews: Travis Wright; Suzie Ernest; Mike Ranney; Jamie Niedermeyer; Feather River hospital surgical unit manager Jeff Roach and nurse Tammy Ferguson; Rachelle and Chris Sanders; Jamie, Erin, and Tezzrah Mansanares; Heritage Paradise staffer Jill Fassler; bus driver Kevin McKay; teachers Abbie Davis and Mary Ludwig; student Rowan Stovall and her mother, Nicole Alderman; Ridgeview High principal Mike Lerch; Cal Fire captains Sean Norman and Matt McKenzie, battalion chief Joe Tapia, firefighters Calin Moldovan and Andrew Goose, and engineer Sam Layton.
he crossed paths with a man: The man was Greg Woodcox. He filmed a video of what remained of his friends—to much controversy. Some fire survivors felt that the world needed to know how bad a blaze could be. Others, including the families of the dead, felt that showing their loved ones’ skeletons was disrespectful. Evan Sernoffsky, “He Couldn’t Save His Friends. Now Camp Fire Survivor’s Video Is Drawing Anger,” San Francisco Chronicle, November 11, 2018, sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/He-couldn-t-save-his-friends-Now-Camp-Fire-13382947.php.
two firefighters from Nevada County: They were engineer Sam Layton and firefighter Andrew Goose, both based in Nevada City.
OBSERVATION: NIGHTFALL
Interviews: Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea and spokeswoman Megan McCann.
gathered reporters for a press conference: The press conference can also be watched online at the Butte County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, facebook.com/watch/live/?v=509369919541941&ref=watch_permalink.
PG&E dispatched a tweet: Pacific Gas & Electric Company (@PGE4Me), “PG&E has determined that it will not proceed with plans today for a Public Safety Power Shutoff in portions of 8 Northern CA counties, as weather conditions did not warrant this safety measure. We want to thank our customers for their understanding. Bit.ly/2SVpRtw,” November 8, 2018, 3:14 p.m., twitter.com/pge4me/status/10606720009292
67713?lang=en.
CHAPTER 16: UNCONFIRMED DEATHS
Interviews: Butte County Sheriff’s Office chaplains Jeremy Carr and Dan Wysong and investigator Tiffany Larson; Sheriff Kory Honea; Alameda County Sheriff’s Office sergeant Howard Baron.
Jeremy Carr noticed them: Parts of this chapter first appeared in one of my earlier articles for the San Francisco Chronicle. Lizzie Johnson, “Camp Fire Chaplain’s Challenge: Making Sense of So Much Loss,” San Francisco Chronicle, December 16, 2018, sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/Camp-Fire-chaplain-s-challenge-making-sense-of-13469245.php.
More than five thousand firefighters: Priyanka Boghani, “Camp Fire: By the Numbers,” Frontline, October 29, 2019, pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/camp-fire-by-the-numbers/.
Air Quality Index registered: On Friday, November 9, 2018, Oroville’s air quality was rated at 535 AQI, particularly troublesome for vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, and those with respiratory illnesses like asthma. Tiffany Jeung, “Animation Shows California Air Quality Is Worst in the World from Wildfires,” Inverse, November 16, 2018, inverse.com/article/50925-california-wildfire-air-quality-worst-in-world.
the equivalent of smoking eight cigarettes: Zoë Schlanger, “In Parts of California, Breathing Is Like Smoking Half a Pack of Cigarettes a Day,” Quartz, November 9, 2018, qz.com/1458615/the-camp-fire-is-making-california-air-quality-as-bad-as-smoking-half-a-pack-of-cigarettes-a-day/.
a race director explained: The director was Lauri Abrahamsen, who explained that the race wasn’t possible because “October and November is the new fire season.” Nearly eight thousand runners had registered for the annual race. Alexandra Casey, “ ‘You Can’t Run in the Smoke’: Berkeley Half Marathon Canceled,” The Daily Californian, November 14, 2018, dailycal.org/2018/11/14/you-cant-run-in-the-smoke-berkeley-half-marathon-canceled/.
More than 180 public school districts: Ricardo Cano, “School Closures from California Wildfires This Week Have Kept More than a Million Kids Home,” Cal Matters, November 15, 2018, calmatters.org/environment/2018/11/school-closures-california-wildfires-1-million-students/.
a survivor had written: The account, written by Sylvan Creecy for the University of Southern California’s student newspaper, the Daily Trojan, was reprinted in The Washington Post. Theresa Vargas, “ ‘Oh God! Help Me!’: In California’s Deadliest Fire, Survivors Watched Co-Workers Die,” The Washington Post, December 15, 2017, washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/12/15/oh-god-help-me-in-californias-deadliest-fire-survivors-watched-co-workers-die/.
a clothing company would eventually sell: Stephanie Schmieding, “ ‘Honea Is My Homie’ T-Shirts Raise $120,000 for Camp Fire Relief Efforts,” Action News Now, December 27, 2018, actionnewsnow.com/content/video/503570322.html.
$280 million “Beleza Emerald”: Mike Murphy, “Was a $280 Million Emerald Destroyed in California Wildfire? PG&E Is Dubious,” MarketWatch, November 20, 2019, marketwatch.com/story/was-a-280-million-emerald-destroyed-in-california-wildfire-pge-is-dubious-2019-11-19.
Sheriff’s deputy Tiffany Larson: I first spoke with Larson for a story in the San Francisco Chronicle. Lizzie Johnson, “Camp Fire: In the Ruins of Paradise, a Grim Search for Signs of Life and Death,” San Francisco Chronicle, November 13, 2018, sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/Camp-Fire-In-the-ruins-of-Paradise-a-grim-13386493.php.
a chaplain whose house had burned down twice before: The chaplain was Dan Wysong.
a deputy from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office: The deputy was Sergeant Howard Baron.
John Digby, seventy-eight, was a retired mail carrier: His son, Roman Digby, told the San Francisco Chronicle: “It’s a pretty desperate situation. I’ve been calling the sheriff a couple times a day for updates. I just want to know either way if he’s been killed or alive, so I can try to move on and deal with what comes next.” Kurtis Alexander, Evan Sernoffsky, and Megan Cassidy, “Camp Fire: Death Toll Rises to 42 as Coroner’s Recovery Crews Find More Bodies,” San Francisco Chronicle, November 12, 2018, sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/camp-fire-butte-county-death-toll-victims-missing-13384222.php.
OBSERVATION: IDENTIFICATION AND HOT SAUCE
Interviews: Sacramento County coroner Kim Gin; ANDE Corp. CEO Richard Selden; Placer County Sheriff’s Office forensic pathologist Greg Reiber; California assemblyman Jim Wood.
the bodies—or more often just fragments of them: This observation is based on a story that I published in the San Francisco Chronicle. Lizzie Johnson, “A Name for ‘Doe D’: Wedding Rings, Hot Sauce and ‘Rapid DNA’: Inside the Intricate Effort to Identify Every Victim of the Historic Camp Fire,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 8, 2019, sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/The-Camp-Fire-coroner-Inside-the-effort-to-13826177.php.
Of the eighteen dentists living in Paradise: These numbers were provided by Assemblyman Jim Wood, a former family dentist of twenty-seven years and forensic odontologist. Interestingly enough, he’s helped with identification efforts in fire zones within his own legislative territory, including the Tubbs Fire of 2017, as well as far-off places like Manhattan after 9/11. Teeth are the hardest substance in the body and much more resistant to burning, hence their role in identification efforts. “The more you do this over the years, the cumulative effect is it just wears on you,” Wood told me. “For me, personally, it is hard to see over the years, the people who have died, having been part of so many different examinations. It really is about knowing I am bringing the beginnings of closure. A process of closure of the loss of a family member.” Jim Wood in discussion with the author, April 2019.
CHAPTER 17: MAYOR OF NOWHERE
Interviews: Paradise mayor Jody Jones, town manager Lauren Gill, and assistant town manager Marc Mattox; Town Council members Michael Zuccolillo, Melissa Schuster, Greg Bolin, and Steve Crowder; Paradise Ridge Fire Safe Council chairman Phil John; Paradise Fire chief David Hawks, director Ken Pimlott, and captain Sean Norman; Pulga owner Betsy Ann Cowley; director of California Office of Emergency Services Mark Ghilarducci; Kevin McKay; Rachelle and Chris Sanders; Jamie and Erin Mansanares; Travis and Carole Wright; Irma Enriquez; Paradise High School teacher Virginia Partain; Butte County director of social services Shelby Boston and manager of animal control Ryan Soulsby; Todd Kelman; Mel (Melissa) Contant.
the Town Council convened on a chilly Tuesday evening: I was present at the November 13, 2018, Town Council meeting in Chico. The meeting can be viewed online at livestream.com/townofparadise/events/8446221.
The meeting agenda for November 13: An earlier version of this chapter first appeared as a story in the San Francisco Chronicle. Lizzie Johnson, “Paradise Town Council Meets, Shattered by Fire’s Devastation but Doing Its Duty,” San Francisco Chronicle, November 13, 2018, sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/Paradise-Town-Council-s-agenda-road-projects-13390335.php.
“It’s emotionally hard”: Phil John, Paradise Ridge Fire Safe Council chairman, in discussion with the author, November 13, 2018.
having recently won reelection with 4,417 votes: Amanda Hovik, “Jody Jones Appointed as Mayor,” Paradise Post, December 14, 2018, paradisepost.com/2018/12/14/jody-jones-appointed-as-mayor/.
Betsy Ann Cowley arrived home: Betsy Ann Cowley in discussion with the author, November 4, 2019.
President Donald Trump landed: I was taking my first time off in ten days when Trump visited the Camp Fire burn zone. These scenes are based on pool reports released by the White House as well as reporting by my colleagues at the San Francisco Chronicle and interviews with those who were with Trump, including Paradise mayor Jody Jones and Cal Fire director Ken Pimlott. Kurtis Alexander, “Trump Views Paradise Fire Devastation, Promises ‘to Take Care of the People,’ ” San Francisco Chronicl
e, November 17, 2018, sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/President-travels-to-Paradise-to-view-wildfire-13401646.php.
Governor Brown trained his eyes on the ground: Governor Brown and President Trump had long had a contentious relationship. Earlier that year, Trump had derisively called him “Moonbeam” in a tweet attacking one of Brown’s recent policy decisions. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump), “Governor Jerry ‘Moonbeam’ Brown pardoned 5 criminal illegal aliens whose crimes include (1) Kidnapping and Robbery (2) Badly beating wife and threatening a crime with intent to terrorize (3) Dealing drugs. Is this really what the great people of California want?” @FoxNews, March 31, 2018, 5:53 a.m., twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/980065427375128576. At the time, I also wrote about this tweet for the San Francisco Chronicle. Lizzie Johnson, “Pardoned by Brown, Blasted by Trump: Bay Area Man Grateful for 2nd Chance,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 7, 2018, sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Pardoned-by-Brown-blasted-by-Trump-Bay-Area-man-12810642.php.
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