At 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the water and sap stored in tree trunks began to boil. The trees sweated until--their cell walls bursting--they combusted.
At 6:15 am on November 8, 2018, a spark ignited next to a transmission tower situated near the town of Paradise. Two hours later, the entire town was in flames. What follows is the harrowing tale of the people of this community as they struggled to stay alive in the inferno, then afterwards as they tried to understand what happened and how to move on and rebuild.
I've been hearing about wildfires for years, more so recently than ever before. And living in the Pacific Northwest, we usually get a week or two of bad air blown in from nearby towns and states every year during wildfire season. But reading this book really brought the devastation to life, not just its destruction in terms of size, but also the human toll that it inevitably carries.
The book introduces us to a few folks in the community, including firefighters, medical personnel, a school bus driver, and a new mother, and we follow them as the horror of the fire unfolds. The narrative is vivid and compelling, often reading more like a thriller than a non-fiction book. The scenes laid out, with embers raining down, smoke turning the sky as black as night and choking the air, and the temperature soaring past 100 degrees, captures this small town on the west coast during its apocalypse.
In addition, the book explores the trauma that this experience leaves on its inhabitants and the town itself, as well as implications for its future. It also examines all that went wrong in order for this to have happened, including utility giant Pacific Gas and Electric's negligence in causing the spark that lit the fire, as well as climate change, aging buildings and infrastructure, a malfunctioning alert system, and lack of a coherent evacuation plan.
This was such a skillfully-written account, helping me understand not just what happened with this particular fire in Paradise, but also of wildfires in general. It was gripping and visceral, and it made my heart ache for the people of this town and all who were affected. Unfortunately, wildfires will only get worse from here, so this feels like an essential book for all who want to understand.
Readaroo Rating: 4 stars
My heartfelt thanks for the advance copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.
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