The Things They Did Not Carry

A year after the Camp Fire destroyed their homes, the people of Paradise told me which of their incinerated belongings they miss the most

Jessica Stiles
Nov 8 · 13 min read

One year ago today, on November 8, 2018, the residents of Paradise and neighboring Magalia were scrambling to gather up their essentials and flee their homes as what would come to be known as the deadliest, most destructive fire in California history began devouring their towns. Since that catastrophic day, many have been struggling to rebuild their…

Keep the story going. Sign up for an extra free read.

You've completed your member preview for this month, but when you sign up for a free Medium account, you get one more story.
Already have an account? Sign in

Jessica Stiles

Written by

Writer, mother, climate change activist.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade