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A once bustling Californian town has been left with 90% of it destroyed after a catastrophic disaster took place with just one small piece of metal.
The town of Paradise in northern California is located around 85 miles north of Sacramento and once had a population of 26,000 people.
However, tragedy struck when a fire broke out, spreading at a speed of nearly 80 football fields per minute, and ultimately claimed 85 lives.
The origins of the flames stemmed from a failure in a single metal hook that was attached to a Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) transmission tower that carried power from hydroelectric facilities in the Sierra Nevada to the Bay Area.
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It quickly became the fastest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history at the time, with residents having just minutes to flee their homes before structures were engulfed in flames.
In total, over 18,000 buildings were destroyed, which included almost 90% of homes in the town.
Hundreds of people were left injured as the chaos from a fast evacuation caused a gridlock on the small roads that lead out of the town.
As a result, many people ended up leaving their cars behind and running on foot away from danger.
After the disaster, thousands of people were displaced due to the destruction, with many left homeless and forced to move to neighboring cities such as Chico or even further afield.
PG&E was forced to file for bankruptcy and ended up paying out billions of dollars in settlements.
However, it wasn’t plain sailing for residents as an insurance crisis followed after many people found themselves dropped by their insurers after the disaster.
There have been mental health support efforts for victims of the tragedy after some reported experiencing survivor guilt, symptoms of post-traumatic stress and troubling dreams.
In order to provide support, the Butte Humane Society's Animal Assisted Wellness program brought in therapy dogs.
There have been efforts to rebuild the town after the tragedy but as of 2023, the population is just a fraction of what it once was at around 6,000-8,000.
Thousands of lots of debris has been cleared and new homes have been built, with many more still in works.
It is hoped that the population will continue to regrow in the coming years.
