Returning to the ridge, one year after disaster

CHICO — Many who lived in Paradise, Magalia and Concow had good reason to pick the ridge as their home. The trees, the history, the natural beauty and small-town nature of these communities were attractive to many who made it their home.

That’s why, despite a year spent recovering from the most devastating wildfire in Northern California’s history, many are desperate to return, and willing to live under difficult conditions even now.

No two people experience life after the Camp Fire the same way, whether their home survived or if they’re living in a temporary home in the city — or in Chico, waiting to get their lot back.

Who lives on the ridge?

Not all who were evacuated from the ridge have been waiting to rebuild all year. Some are still living in Paradise and have been since even before cleanup efforts were well underway.

Deborah Matthews, who built her home to withstand the effects of fire, says she has no intention of leaving.

Holding a Ph.D. in plant pathology, she worked as a researcher at the University of California in Riverside, eventually providing research about emerging plant diseases and diagnosis to plant producers and arborists in the state’s agricultural community. This research led her to decide where she would like to retire and build her own home.

“I always wanted to live in the mountains since I was 14 years old and that was my one real goal in life: retire young and build a nice house in the mountains in one of the eight western states I would consider,” she said. “I researched over 250 towns over 35 years to find just the right fit for me. Paradise went on that list in 2003 and after full vetting of my criteria, it was the only place that didn’t go off the list.”

Matthews bought over 2 acres in 2011 and custom-built her home in 2014, retiring to Paradise in December 2015.

For building a home, she said, “The one thing I knew you had to be aware of in any mountain community was wildfire. So using modern fire codes and some upgrades, then doing the defensible space myself to produce an island of non-flammables around my home … I was fortunate to have my home survive.”

Despite all of her work to build a fireproof home, on the day after the fire, Mathews was left waiting in the refugee shelter at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, wondering if her home had been destroyed after years of careful planning. At the time, she wasn’t sure if her planning “had done me any good based on the images on TV and online.”

“However, on Nov. 10, I wrote my contractor to see if he knew anything about my house or my sister’s, and he was able to inform me that both were indeed intact,” she said. “We both feel very fortunate to be among the survivors and have been able to resume an almost normal life since returning Dec. 16.”

“It’s time to move forward, no time to think about what might have been or wishing for a different scenario,” Mathews said. “This is our reality and we need to adapt and get on with getting the town back to normal.”

Land disputes

Adjusting to that reality is different for everyone, and proving more difficult than expected for some who need to provide for their families if their homes did not survive the fire.

Some members of the community are left waiting for permits to be approved or for land assessment, living on the ridge but uncertain about having a home to return to again. Others are battling to have their property lines recognized.

Frederick Riecker and his family say they have been struggling all year to get back on their property of 47 years in Magalia, on Ponderosa Way. He has been trying to get his application for a triple-wide on his old property approved, but says the city has been blocking it because the property’s lines are disputed and running against what is considered state land.

“I can’t believe what they are asking us to do,” he said. “I get this information, letting me know that I’m on their property, and I try to let them know that this property belongs to me.”

He had copies of his property from the county, but says that the state is still asking for a portion of his property that prevents him from an additional 20 feet to drive and park a vehicle. Because of the border of his property being against the state’s property, it affects his ability to drive onto the property as designed for a triple-wide. Riecker claims that all he needs is 20 feet allowed by the state to drive a vehicle onto the property.

He, his wife, adult children and six grandchildren are currently squeezed into a house in Chico, he said, having originally stayed in Corning and a hotel.

Riecker said he is continuing to battle with the state government in an attempt to get what he said is his own property approved.

Unfortunately, his story is most likely not unusual, and this could be an ongoing battle for many hoping to rebuild because so many property lines weren’t assessed in Paradise, according to Kate Layden of Chico Builders Association.

“Many of these lots should never had had homes on them,” Leyden said.

Funding for building

There are some bright spots to those looking for other options for affordable building on the ridge.

An application for the Building Resiliency Center application was recently submitted by the town of Paradise, to be housed in the former Bank of America building at 6295 Skyway. The center would serve as a one-stop for building permits, housing resources and assistance with the rebuilding process from town staff and supporting agencies. The staff would also offer guidance on property insurance options.

The county also requested $100,000 to pay for a one-year lease on a building at 7200 Skyway in Paradise for the Butte County Community Services Center. The center hopes to provide mental health and social support services in a location that is easy to access, and will house adult mental health services, social support and employment eligibility services and disaster case management.

Affordable homes are also a possibility for some who lacked insurance before the fire and, like Riecker, are struggling to find housing. Chico Housing Action Team is one of the nonprofit organizations that is building homes on the ridge. Their goal is to increase the number of homes available to those who really need a room but perhaps cannot afford housing on their own.

Staffer Bob Trausch says CHAT is currently working on units for 30 families to be housed on the ridge. Those who lived in Paradise were largely a “very vulnerable population,” Trausch said, consisting mostly of retirees and seniors with minimal or no insurance. As a result, many displaced after the fire have depended on living in shelters or in family housing.

Facing shut-offs

Weeks before the anniversary of the fire, Matthews was optimistic about the reality of living on the ridge.

“All my utilities except landline phone are in place now and dealing with non-potable water isn’t that big a deal since I worked with extremely hazardous chemicals for over 30 years and know how to work around them and be safe,” Matthews said.

“It’s not so bad,” she said, despite relying on ice chests and a freezer that made it through 58 hours without power. She just wasn’t expecting the power to be out six times in six weeks’ time.

When building the house years ago, in 2014, her electrician had talked her out of using natural gas for a backup generator due to the cost. She finds that decision ironic now, relying on ingenuity to power her home as best she can.

Other than managing life with power shut-offs, Matthews sees life on the ridge as “just fine.” She doesn’t eat out often, so a lack of fast food restaurants doesn’t bother her. There are several grocery stores. Her days are mostly focused on renovating her property and working in the garden, as well as repairing her irrigation system, which she says is 80 percent complete.

“I like to look at the brighter side of things rather than the negative,” she said. She was blown away by the rate at which the town was cleaned of its debris — “it was remarkable, like a beehive.”

“It’s amazing, considering what this town faced. “

She said she understands that her situation is probably different from that of others living on the ridge, as she is retired with no children and only has to provide for her own needs. But she is also hopeful for the future of Paradise as it is still the town she selected to live in after retirement.

What matters is having her life and her home, she said.

“It’s about that, not what we lost.”