The Camp wildfire that consumed Paradise, California, claimed 85 lives while virtually burning the town off the map. But beyond those facts lay a rich narrative of the individuals who perished while calling Paradise home.
AP San Francisco reporters Janie Har and Jocelyn Gecker set out to tell the stories of the victims of the deadly Paradise fire far more comprehensively than was possible in the immediate aftermath: Who were they? Where and when did they die? Did they even have a chance to flee? Did their families hold authorities accountable?
To paint a picture of how the tragedy unfolded, the pair spent months tracking down family members – many of whom were wary – to talk about their loved ones, assuring them that AP’s coverage would be more than a recitation of the grim facts. Interviews with California fire officials, a newly available simulation of the fire’s movement on the fateful morning and public records requests enabled AP to give the exact locations of where people died and their approximate times of death.
The result was a riveting package that coupled intimate portraits of the victims with the circumstances of their death. Most never had a chance to flee their homes as the fast-moving fire barreled through.
In addition to the mainbar, sprinkled with family photos of the victims gathered by the reporters, and new lead images by photographer Rich Pedroncelli, Har and Gecker wrote longer vignettes of the victims, under “Lives Lost.”. An interactive map by New York top stories artist Francois Duckett showed the locations of all the victims, some with family photos, and the movement of the fire based on the public records. A video piece pegged to the 100-day anniversary of the fire, by Los Angeles video journalist Krysta Fauria, accompanied the story.
Also marking the anniversary, stringer photographer Noah Berger, who anchored the original fire coverage, showed the current state of devastation in Paradise, including some remarkable works of art that have risen from the rubble. That was accompanied by Los Angeles reporter Brian Melley’s story on the long road to recovery 100 days out.
Carol Beall, right, hugs friends on Feb. 8, 2019, as they comb through the remains of her residence, destroyed by Camp Fire, in Paradise, Calif. It was the first time that Beall returned to Paradise since fleeing the blaze in November. In the 100 days since a wildfire nearly burned the town off the map, the long recovery is just starting. Work crews have been cutting down trees and clearing burned-out lots, but Paradise is mostly a ghost town where survivors still dig for keepsakes in the foundations of their homes.
AP Photo / Noah Berger
A mural by artist Shane Grammer, shown Feb. 8, 2019, covers the chimney of a residence leveled by November’s Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif. Grammer says he painted murals throughout the fire-ravaged town to convey hope in the midst of destruction.
AP Photo / Noah Berger
Bud Daneau, right, hugs Carol Beall on Feb. 8, 2019, while helping her comb through the remains of her residence at the Ridgewood Mobile Home Park, destroyed by November’s Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif.
AP Photo / Noah Berger
Christina Taft, the daughter of Camp Fire victim Victoria Taft, displays several photos of her mother, Feb. 7, 2019, at the burned-out home in Paradise, Calif., where she died. Victoria Taft’s remains were recovered from the ruins of her living room.
AP Photo / Rich Pedroncelli
Christina Taft, the daughter of Camp Fire victim Victoria Taft, arranges flowers she had previously left at a cross bearing her mother’s name at a memorial to the fire victims in Paradise, Calif, Feb. 7, 2019.
AP Photo / Rich Pedroncelli
Joanie Ellison cries while visiting a memorial for Camp Fire victims in Paradise, Feb. 8, 2019. In the 100 days since a wildfire nearly burned the town of Paradise off the map, Ellison made a tearful drive dozens of times to the ruins of her home, resisting the urge to look away from the devastation so she could fully absorb the staggering loss. Not until recently could she bring herself to stop at the crosses placed in memory of the 85 people who perished in the fire.
AP Photo / Noah Berger
A mural by artist Shane Grammer, shown Feb. 8, 2019, covers the wall of a building leveled by November’s Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif.
AP Photo / Noah Berger
Cristian Avila, right, helps customers at the Starbucks in Paradise, Calif., February 2019. In the 100 days since the Camp Fire devastated the town, destroying the the majority of business, the ones that survived have begun to reopen. Starbucks, which reopened in January, has become a hub of activity for the few locals who didn’t lose their homes and stayed.
AP Photo / Rich Pedroncelli
Crosses memorializing Camp Fire victims line a ridge in Paradise, Calif., Feb. 8, 2019. The blaze killed at least 85 people according to the Butte County sheriff’s office.
AP Photo / Noah Berger
The moving package was well-received by members throughout California and from coast-to-coast, including The Washington Post and the Houston Chronicle. The mainbar had more than 37,000 pageviews with strong engagement, and the interactive had 50,000 views.
For carrying the Paradise story forward with enterprising, sensitive work that focused on the victims’ narratives, Har and Gecker share this week’s Best of the States award.