Jordan Ellis
The Camp Fire, which began in the early morning hours of November 8, 2018, was the deadliest wildfire in California's history. The fire devastated the town of Paradise, forcing the evacuation of Paradise and several other towns and threatening many others. The fire destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings, including part of Feather River Hospital, where staff heroically evacuated patients as the fire approached. The hospital staff evacuated 67 patients, some of whom carried their IV bags and were loaded into the vehicles of doctors, nurses, and other hospital employees. The fire was caused by a nearly 100-year-old electrical transmission line owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), and it resulted in significant insured losses of $8.4 billion reported to the California Department of Insurance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the fire | Camp Fire |
| Year | 2018 |
| Location | Paradise, California |
| Evacuation | Nearly the entire town of Paradise was evacuated |
| Hospitals | Adventist Feather River Hospital was evacuated |
| Fatalities | 85 people lost their lives |
| Damage | Nearly 19,000 buildings were destroyed, including five public schools, a rest home, churches, part of Feather River Hospital, and numerous businesses |
| Cause | A nearly 100-year-old electrical transmission line owned by Pacific Gas and Electric |
| Response | More than 5,000 firefighters were dispatched, and there were $8.4 billion in insured losses reported |
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What You'll Learn
Feather River Hospital patients evacuated
On November 8, 2018, the Camp Fire ripped through Paradise, California, becoming the deadliest wildfire in the state's history. The fire destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings, including homes, schools, businesses, and parts of Feather River Hospital.
Feather River Hospital, officially known as Adventist Health Feather River, was a 101-bed acute care hospital in Paradise, California. It was the largest business in Paradise, employing 1,300 people. As the Camp Fire approached the hospital, staff and patients were forced to evacuate. At 7:45 a.m., Ryan Ashlock, the "administrator on call," called a code triage external, alerting units to prepare for any eventuality. Initially, the staff believed they could shelter in place due to the hospital's fire-retardant structure. However, by 8:07 a.m., the fire had reached both ends of the hospital's campus, and Mr. Ashlock ordered a full evacuation.
The evacuation process was challenging. Staff escorted ambulatory patients, while others were pushed in wheelchairs or wheeled out in their beds to the emergency room entrance or the helipad. They attempted to contact ambulances and helicopters, but due to gridlocked traffic and the fire, only two ambulances arrived, one of which caught fire and burned. Helicopters were unable to land due to the smoke. By 8:50 a.m., 80 patients and 200 employees had been evacuated. In total, 280 patients and staff were evacuated from the hospital. Tragically, one critically ill intensive-care patient passed away that day.
The lower level of the hospital sustained extensive damage, and nine of the 15 administrative buildings on the campus burned, along with the IT building and one clinic. The hospital was forced to close, and surrounding hospitals took in patients who would usually be treated at Feather River. The fire highlighted the urgent need for improved evacuation routes and a better understanding of burnovers to protect lives and communities.
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Evacuation hampered by communication difficulties
The 2018 Camp Fire was the deadliest wildfire in California's history. The fire devastated the town of Paradise, destroying nearly 19,000 buildings, including homes, schools, churches, a hospital, and numerous businesses. The fire also claimed 85 lives, with some victims dying in their cars as they attempted to escape.
In the aftermath of the fire, it was revealed that the evacuation process was hampered by several factors, including communication difficulties. First responders faced challenges due to an insufficient number of cell phone repeaters, which resulted in reduced internet speed and hindered their ability to coordinate evacuation efforts effectively. The wildfire alert system was also impacted by damaged cell towers, further complicating the communication and notification process during the emergency.
Communication issues were not the only obstacles faced during the evacuation. The roads leading out of Paradise had significant constraints and capacity limitations, making them inadequate for handling the volume of traffic during the evacuation. The town's planning decisions, such as reducing the number of travel lanes, contributed to the congestion and slowed down the evacuation process. Additionally, the rapid spread of the fire, fueled by high winds, outpaced the ability of residents to escape, with the fire moving at a rate equivalent to the area of a football field per second.
To address these challenges, Paradise implemented measures to improve evacuation routes and emergency response. The town received state funding to convert one of its main thoroughfares, Skyway, into a one-way route during emergencies, effectively doubling its capacity. However, even with this change, the roads could only facilitate the evacuation of around a fourth of the population within two hours. The town also received grants totaling $200 million specifically for evacuation route improvements, marking the largest grant of its kind in U.S. history.
Despite the challenges posed by communication difficulties and road capacity limitations, the evacuation of hospitals during the Camp Fire was successful. At Feather River Hospital, staff acted quickly to evacuate patients from various wards as the fire approached. The speed and intensity of the fire forced them to deviate from their planned evacuation procedures, with patients even carrying their IV bags and being transported in the personal vehicles of hospital staff. Their efforts ensured the safe evacuation of 67 patients, demonstrating the resilience and dedication of the hospital staff in the face of an unprecedented emergency.
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Escape routes blocked by fallen trees and utility poles
The Camp Fire, which began in the early morning hours of November 8, 2018, was the deadliest wildfire in California's history. The fire moved at a rate equivalent to the area of a football field per second, spreading across all escape routes. The fire's speed and intensity were such that the town of Paradise was destroyed within the first six hours, losing an estimated 95% of its buildings.
As the fire spread, trees fell and blocked escape routes, as did utility poles. Vehicles jammed the roads as the fire burned them over. Falling trees and utility poles also damaged vehicles, endangering the lives of those attempting to evacuate. The evacuation efforts were further hampered by communication difficulties due to an insufficient number of cell phone repeaters and damaged cell towers.
The roads leading out of Paradise had already been identified as having "significant constraints" and "capacity limitations" for evacuation routes in a 2009 report by a Butte County civil grand jury. The report noted that the roads had sharp curves, inadequate shoulders, and fire hazards adjacent to the shoulders, such as fire fuel and steep slopes. Despite this, the town of Paradise had proposed a reduction in travel lanes on these roadways in 2009, receiving state funding to implement a "road diet" along three of its main thoroughfares and evacuation routes.
The impact of the fallen trees and utility poles on the escape routes during the Camp Fire highlights the importance of addressing the limitations of evacuation routes identified in the 2009 report. It also underscores the need for improved communication infrastructure and emergency response planning to ensure the safe and timely evacuation of residents in the event of a wildfire.
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Emergency services abandoned firefighting efforts to save lives
The Camp Fire, which began in the early morning hours of November 8, 2018, was the deadliest wildfire in California's history. The fire devastated the town of Paradise, destroying nearly 19,000 buildings, most of them homes, and causing $8.4 billion in insured losses. The fire also destroyed part of Feather River Hospital, where staff heroically evacuated 67 patients as the flames approached.
As the fire spread rapidly, emergency services were forced to abandon firefighting efforts to focus on saving lives. The incident commander leading the emergency response recognized the fire's speed and intensity and ordered his personnel to evacuate, stating over the radio, "Save lives, keep evacuation moving." This shift in focus was necessary to prioritize the safety of residents and first responders, as burnovers—life-threatening events where residents and responders are cut off by flames from escape routes—were occurring.
Despite successful evacuation efforts that saved nearly the entire town of Paradise, communication difficulties hampered the process. There were insufficient cell phone repeaters, reducing internet speed and impacting the coordination of emergency responses. Additionally, the wildfire alert system was affected by damaged cell towers.
The Camp Fire brought attention to the need for improved evacuation routes and fire prevention measures in wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas. It also highlighted the vulnerability of specific groups, such as the elderly and impaired, who disproportionately perished in the fire. To address this, Paradise is developing a Special Needs Awareness Program, a registry that will provide first responders and human services personnel with essential information during future disasters requiring evacuation.
Furthermore, investigations revealed that the Camp Fire was caused by a nearly 100-year-old electrical transmission line owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). This finding led to lawsuits against PG&E, accusing the company of failing to maintain its infrastructure and equipment properly.
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Evacuation grants for Paradise
The 2018 Camp Fire was California's deadliest wildfire, igniting in the early morning hours of November 8, 2018, and devastating the town of Paradise. The fire forced the evacuation of Paradise and several other towns, and nearly 19,000 buildings were destroyed, including Feather River Hospital.
In the aftermath of the fire, Paradise has received various grants to support recovery and redevelopment efforts. Here are some of the key evacuation-related grants:
- Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant: In October 2020, Paradise was awarded a $1.8 million Economic Adjustment Assistance grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA). This grant was funded by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019, which provided the EDA with additional funds for disaster relief and recovery. The grant helped Paradise develop a master plan for improving its transportation infrastructure and potentially accessing additional state and federal investment.
- Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Funds: In August 2022, Paradise qualified for $200 million in CDBG-DR funds, the largest single grant awarded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that year. These funds are intended for foundational infrastructure projects, including the construction of critical evacuation routes to improve the town's resilience and preparedness in the event of future disasters.
- Housing Grants: Paradise has also received grants to support housing repairs and reconstruction for residents affected by the Camp Fire. The Rebuild Paradise Foundation offers the Missing Middle Grant, providing up to $5,000 to help low and middle-income residents with home-building costs. Additionally, the Septic Infrastructure Grant offers up to $7,500 for qualified low-income households and up to $3,500 for middle-income households to cover septic-related expenses.
These grants have played a crucial role in Paradise's recovery and rebuilding efforts, with a focus on improving evacuation routes and increasing the resilience of the community in the face of future disasters.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, hospitals did evacuate during California's Camp Fire. Adventist Feather River Hospital staff evacuated 67 patients from rooms, intensive care wards, and surgical theatres as the fire burned into the hospital campus.
The hospital evacuation was challenging due to the speed and intensity of the fire. The evacuation was also hampered by communication difficulties caused by an insufficient number of cell phone repeaters and damaged cell towers.
Yes, evacuation efforts were further complicated by burnovers, where residents or first responders were cut off from escape routes by flames. Trees and utility poles blocked escape routes, and vehicles jammed roads as the fire burned them.
