This month marks six years since the Camp Fire devastated Paradise, Magalia, Concow, Butte Creek Canyon and other nearby communities.
NSPR has been speaking with those working in recovery. Aaron Singer, executive director of Paradise Stronger, said the gym has served as a community space for counseling and other support in the aftermath of the fire.
“Paradise Stronger came from the idea that people are going to need to rebuild their lives as they rebuild their homes,” Singer said. “So there's fitness in the front and a nonprofit to help people with their physical health, their mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, even nutritional health.”
Singer said that six years still feels very recent in terms of time to recover from such a disaster.
“I see where we’re going but also I see where we’ve been and how long it’s taken to get there,” Singer said. “Six years is nothing but when you’ve been part of it day by day it feels like forever.”
There is still a long way to go and the town is still a patchwork in terms of recovery.
“There are empty lots where it hasn’t been touched since the fire. There are brand new homes that are beautiful. There are homes that survived and they look exactly how they did before the fire,” Singer said. “We're a patchwork of a patchwork of a town. We're a beautiful town, and we're coming back, and I'm excited to say that in 10 years, we're going to be even greater.”
