Editing Paradise, California (section)

==== Camp Fire recovery ====
[[File:Paradise after the Camp Fire, July 2019-7428.jpg|thumb|A burnt-down house in Paradise, eight months after the Camp Fire]]
The first two building permits were reissued for Paradise, after almost five months, on March 28, 2019. Local public policymakers aimed to promote rebuilding with higher standards for fire-resistant construction, upgraded infrastructure, and using the recommended 2009 redesigns for enhanced fire safety, which include expanded road capacity to increase evacuation capacity and to provide better access for emergency equipment.<ref>Bizjak, Tony (March 28, 2019). [https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article228539324.html "This determined Paradise fire victim will be first to rebuild: 'It's time to move on.'"]. ''[[The Sacramento Bee]]''. Retrieved April 8, 2019.</ref> Two weeks of rain in early March 2019 slowed removal of debris; it was prohibited to dump waterlogged waste in landfills. Some 1,000 truckloads of material were expected to be removed daily from properties in Paradise, Concow, and Magalia. Cleanup was anticipated to take a year, involving 11,000 properties.<ref>Bizjak, Tony (March 15, 2019). [https://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/article227956239.html "Heavy rain halted Camp Fire cleanup. Now crews are set to tackle the tons of debris"]. ''[[The Fresno Bee]]''. Retrieved April 20, 2019.</ref>

In 2010 the [[U.S. Census]] reported a population of 26,800. After the Camp Fire, the population declined by more than 90%.<ref name="Earther">{{Cite web |first=Yessenia |last=Funes |url=https://earther.gizmodo.com/paradise-california-has-lost-more-than-90-percent-of-i-1836320507 |title=Paradise, California, Has Lost More Than 90 Percent of Its Residents Since Last Year's Deadly Fire |date=July 12, 2019 |access-date=December 13, 2019 |website=[[Earther]]}}</ref> In January 2019, the state of California reported 4,600 residents, and a door-to-door count in April 2019 found 2,034.<ref name="SacBee">{{cite news |url=https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/07/11/paradise-camp-fire-population/ |title=Town Of Paradise Has Lost 90% Of Its Population |date=July 11, 2019 |work=[[CBS Sacramento]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=December 4, 2019}}</ref> In the ensuing years, however, more residents have slowly returned to the town. By November 2023, it was reported that there were a little over 9,000 residents living in Paradise. Over 2,500 new structures had also been built, with more construction ongoing.<ref name=":0" />

By 2024, the town had experienced a substantial influx of newcomers who had moved from the Bay Area and Southern California. Building codes had changed, so displaced residents could not rebuild under codes that had formerly allowed homes smaller than {{Convert|750|ft2|m2}}. Insurance costs had exploded, with annual premiums of $12,000 becoming commonplace.<ref>[https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-town-destroyed-fire-locals-priced-out-19516323.php No return to Paradise: Inside a California town burned by tragedy], ''[[SF Gate]]'', Sam Mauhay-Moore, June 21, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.</ref>

One year after the fires, the town united behind the [[Paradise High School]] football team, which achieved an undefeated season. One team member commented, "You look at the stands, the whole town of Paradise is here, so it's really our only event right now, so it means everything."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/11/22/paradise-high-suspended-players-undefeated/|title=Paradise High Football Team Stays Undefeated Despite Suspension Of Six Players|last=Malcolm|first=Rob|date=November 22, 2019|work=[[CBS Sacramento]]|access-date=November 23, 2019}}</ref> Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said, "The football team has come to represent all of us.”<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beam |first1=Adam |title=Paradise High School Competes for Football Title 1 Year After Deadly Fire Destroyed California Town |url=https://time.com/5741939/paradise-high-school-football-team-wildfire/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201025344/https://time.com/5741939/paradise-high-school-football-team-wildfire/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 1, 2019 |access-date=December 5, 2019 |magazine=Time |date=November 30, 2019}}</ref> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' columnist [[Bill Plaschke]] was inspired to write a book about the team and the town, ''Paradise Found: A High School Football Team's Rise from the Ashes'' (2021).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.today.com/news/good-news/paradise-football-team-rebuilt-californias-deadliest-fire-spared-teams-rcna3696|title=Paradise football team rises again after California's deadliest fire spared team's field|last=Stump|first=Scott|date=October 25, 2021|work=Today|access-date=October 29, 2021}}</ref>