Around 200 people gathered yesterday in Paradise Community Park to remember those they lost in the 2018 Camp Fire and to reflect five years after the fire.
Paradise Mayor Greg Bolin opened the event with a moment of silence for 85 seconds, each one representing one of the 85 people who lost their lives in the disaster.
“In the face of such an overwhelming loss 85 seconds may seem like a brief moment. But it's a significant one. It's a poignant reminder of 85 lives that were taken from us, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and our town,” Bolin said.
After the silence, survivors buried a time capsule which won’t be opened until the 25-year mark of the Camp Fire in 2043.
The capsule included pictures of loved ones, poems, clothing, sculptures and other items. Melanie Dunn and her daughter put the final object into the capsule before it was sealed — the keys to the house they lost in the fire.
“It felt like it was the right time to put the keys in, because it's our final step back of saying it's gone. It's done. It's over with,” Dunn said.
Dunn said they moved to Arizona following the fire, but have recently returned to the area.
“I really needed to come home. I wanted to have plants again, I wanted to not watch everything die in the 118 heat,” Dunn said. “So we're home and it feels really good. We feel really blessed.”
Other survivors said that while recovery is far from over, it feels as though the worst is behind them. It’s time to start looking toward the future.
