RED BLUFF – Five years ago, when the Camp Fire tore through Paradise, Magalia, Concow, Butte Creek Canyon and surrounding areas, residents fled and spread all around the country in search of a new place to call home. Some went back to rebuild. Many came to Red Bluff.
The Camp Fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state’s history. It was the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018. Named after Camp Creek Road, its place of origin, the fire started on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018.
According to Cal Fire, the Camp Fire was “Ignited by a faulty electric transmission line, the fire originated above several communities and an east wind drove the fire downhill through developed areas. After exhibiting extreme fire spread, fireline intensity and spotting behaviors through the rural community of Concow, an urban firestorm formed in the foothill town of Paradise.”
Former Magalia resident Annette Dyer and her husband relocated to Red Bluff after the PG&E ignited-blaze. They are tremendously grateful for the community they have found.
“There are so many blessings here. I’ve met amazing people. It’s an amazing community,” she said. “The people in Red Bluff were and continue to be, welcoming.”
Dyer, who retired from her position as a vice president in technology in 2020, has since immersed herself in the Red Bluff community to give back to the place she now calls home – the place that welcomed her with open arms.
She joined Kiwanis, attends school fundraisers and loves to shop locally. She’s met many new friends and gathers with them regularly at local establishments.
Dyer said a positive byproduct of the fire is her increased gratitude. She recalled the day or two after the fire that, she and her husband agreed to list two things they were grateful for each night before they went to sleep.
“It might have been just a place to stay or a warm blanket,” she said. “We continue to list our blessings today.”
On the fifth anniversary of the infamous day, Dyer chooses not to think about it. She said she occasionally catches herself looking for an item, such as an article of clothing and realizes it’s something she no longer has because it burned in the fire. Many people from the Camp Fire have the same experience and describe these as “ghost items.”
“I came to a point where I have got to move on. I’ve got to focus on what’s important – the here and now. There’s no need for me to memorialize it. I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor,” she said. “Good comes out of everything. If you look for it, you will find it.”