Day 7: Paradise to Chico

May 22, 2024

This is a difficult day to write about. How do you write about something truly exceptional, but exceptionally awful?

The 2018 Camp fire was the deadliest and most financially destructive fire in California history. The fire started on the morning of November 8, 2018, when wind-blown PG&E power lines made contact with trees near Camp Creek road. The powerful easterly Diablo wind quickly pushed the fire in the direction of Paradise. The fire started in a remote area, and 6 hours later 95 percent of the buildings in Paradise were gone. Initially there was no attempt to fight the firestorm, but merely to evacuate people in the fire's path. Unfortunately the fire spread much faster than people could evacuate.

The wind-blown firestorm burned 15,000 homes and 3000 commercial structures in the densely forested town of 26,000+ people. Burned cars blocked evacuation routes until they could be pushed off the road. Thousands of survivors endured the firestorm in vehicles while stuck in traffic. Many people recorded the experience on video. After watching fire videos I'm amazed that only 85 people died. 70 of the deaths were people who ignored the evacuation order and tried to shelter in place. Evacuees had a traumatic experience but had a far higher survival rate. It was the deadliest wildfire in California history but it could have been worse.

It seems like a conscious decision to not replace this sign after 6 years.

I was tired after yesterday's exertions, so I didn't leave the hotel until 10:30. From the Best Western hotel I pedaled north, continuous uphill, on Clark road through the east side of Paradise. I saw stark examples of destruction and recovery. Stumps are everywhere. All the dead trees have been cut down and hauled away. Residents no longer see those reminders of the fire. Paradise still has tall pines here and there. Maybe 5% of the pines survived the fire, often the largest specimens. Thin scattered pines is the historical norm before human fire suppression began 100+ years ago. Overall, Paradise had more live trees and fewer dead trees than I expected. It's not a moonscape.

A few buildings survived the fire. A few buildings have been rebuilt since the fire, mostly houses. But 3/4 of Paradise is still burned out empty lots.

Not surprisingly, the stone Masonic Lodge survived the fire.

Residential areas have intact driveways and mailboxes, but with totally empty lots. I suppose that much effort and money was expended to haul away twisted metal wreckage. I never saw lots with wreckage. 3/4 of the city is empty lots, but it's pretty well cleaned up after 6 years. Cleanup is an essential step towards long term recovery.

Commercial areas have intact parking lots, light poles, and sign structures surrounded by empty fields and roads. The town needs to regain more population before most of the commercial areas will be rebuilt.

The Paradise population instantly dropped from 26,000 to 4000 after the fire, but after 6 years has recovered to 7000 people. I saw many brand new houses. As is typical when a place rebuilds, the new residents tend to have higher incomes than the old residents who lost everything. The new, gentrified Paradise might be fully rebuilt in 20 years.

Camp fire statistics are mind-boggling. 153,336 acres burned, a significant portion was urban. Fire suppression cost was $150 million. Total losses were $16.5 billion dollars, making it the world's most expensive natural disaster in the year 2018. 85 deaths made it the deadliest fire in the U.S. since 1918.

Sadly, the death toll of the 2018 Camp fire was surpassed by the 2023 fire that burned Lahaina, Hawaii. Another big town burned to the ground. I visited Lahaina twice before it burned, but never saw Paradise before it burned. Giant urban wildfires were once unprecedented and unthinkable, but have become a new reality. I wonder how many more big towns will burn during my lifetime?

After pedaling north across Paradise I continued north, uphill on Skyway road which follows a ridge to the city of Magalia which also burned. I turned around at the reservoir just before the final big climb to Magalia. Elevation is 2346 feet where I turned around. From here it's downhill all the way to Chico.

I turned around at the reservoir just downhill from Magalia.

Skyway road is on a ridge overlooking the canyon of the West Fork Feather river. I could see deep into the canyon but could seldom see the stream.

West Fork Feather river canyon looking upstream towards the origin of the Camp fire.

West Fork Feather river canyon looking downstream. Faint water view.

Skyway Drive. Downhill all the way to Chico.

The descent takes me through Paradise again. This time I stayed on Skyway Drive which is the main road through the east side of Paradise, through downtown. That corridor is mostly commercial.

This looks like it was a trailer park. Subdivision reconstruction in the distance.

I could have pedaled through the middle of Paradise on a rail trail but I opted to stay on roads to see more of the burned buildings. I did detour over to the trail to see the old train station which survived the fire thanks to defensible space.

The historic train station survived thanks to defensible space.

A few blocks past the train station I suddenly escaped the city traffic by turning onto Honey Run road. It's a scenic road into a remote canyon that is not prominently signed because it's only one lane and extremely winding.

Top of Honey Run, where the one lane road begins.

It was obvious that this canyon burned in the Camp fire, but there is significant regrowth. I see dead trees, but I mostly see green.

Honey Run is extremely winding, descending 1300 feet into a remote canyon.

I enjoyed the lonely scenic 1300 foot descent. Mostly 7-8 percent grade with continuous sharp curves that easily justify the 15 mph speed limit. It also has a low speed limit because it's a one lane road with two way traffic. I saw 2 cars while going down the one lane section.

I enjoyed the canyon views and the fact that the canyon seems like wilderness even though it's only a few miles outside of Chico. Honey Run is an amazing back door route from Paradise to Chico.

The bottom third of Honey Run is two lanes, in the bottom of the canyon. Almost no traffic. I stopped several times to look at Butte Creek. I also stopped at the site of the former Honey Run covered bridge. The covered version was built in 1901. A local group raised money to rebuild the bridge which was the most notable historic treasure to burn in the Camp fire. The new bridge will be completed by the end of this year!

Site of the huge 1901 Honey Run Covered Bridge which burned in the 2018 Camp fire.

The Camp fire peters out roughly where the trees end and the semi-arid valley begins. Despite the efforts of human firefighters, the fire burned until it ran out of fuel. That's also the new normal. Some wildfires just can't be stopped no matter how hard we try.

Honey Run connects with a busy highway just outside Chico. I planned to ride the highway for a couple miles, but the fancy bike trail portal convinced me to take a bike trail instead. The bike trail goes through farms, then connects to city streets that have bike lanes. I got into Chico without riding on the highway at all.

I turned onto this bike trail just to see the portal up close. 42 is my large chainring.

I had a late lunch at the Sierra Nevada Brewery restaurant and tasting room. I was surprised that the restaurant was relatively busy at 3 PM. Lunch was great. Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA was great. Nobody said a word about my vintage Sierra Nevada bicycle jersey.

Late lunch at Sierra Nevada brewery in Chico.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA is my favorite beer, but this was my first time to visit the Sierra Nevada brewery.

After lunch I still had to pedal another 2 easy miles on bike lanes to tonight's lodging, the downtown Quality Inn. It was very warm. Chico is only 200 feet elevation. By far the warmest place on the tour route.

I rested for a couple hours at the motel. Then in the evening I walked through the downtown area. Chico is the home of a large state university but school just ended last week. I saw mostly college age people, but it wasn't crowded. I ended up having a late dinner at a tavern on Broadway, the main entertainment strip. Population 101,000 makes Chico by far the biggest town I see during this tour. I enjoyed the novelty of seeing a big town.

Chico has a nice park block in the middle of downtown. Unfortunately the park is pretty much taken over by homeless people, with shopping carts and sleeping bags all around.

I walked the main downtown streets of Broadway and Park Avenue and enjoyed looking at the buildings and the people.

The theater is closed for the summer because Chico State classes ended last week.

Hotel Diamond is NOT my home tonight. Not sure it's even a hotel now.

First Presbyterian Church at the end of Broadway.

Broadway is the main entertainment district. 4 blocks from the University.

My Quality Inn appears to be relatively new, but the historic sign of a former motel has been retained. Unfortunately the neon wasn't lit.

Historic sign retained at my relatively new Quality Inn.

I started with a big climb, but the numbers show that this was an easy day with much more down than up. Warmest day of the tour, high of 86F.

It was an easy day of pedaling but a day of contrasts. A burned city. A private canyon. A big college town.

Distance: 29.7 miles
Average Speed: 9.3 mph
Ascent/Descent: +1111/-2470 feet.

Today's ride: 30 miles (48 km)
Total: 229 miles (369 km)

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Kelly IniguezYour writeup about the fire was concise and informative. I can tell you did your research.
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5 months ago

Wayne EstesTo Kelly IniguezLike other theme tours, I studied in advance AND learned a lot along the way. I did extensive research about the Alameda, Dixie, and Camp fires. Then I stumbled into the Goat fire on day 1. Paradise is a major dead-end mountain climb that doesn't make sense to a cyclist except to see the aftermath of the Camp fire. And ride down Honey Run!
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5 months ago