Rebuilding Paradise: Mayor’s message of hope after Camp Fire
By LA Stories Staff Los Angeles
PUBLISHED 6:00 AM PT Feb. 03, 2025
Steve Crowder moved to Paradise, Calif., in search of a slower, mountain lifestyle with his family.
Deeply involved in his community, Crowder went on to become a member of the city council and owned a thriving business with his wife.
Crowder was living his dream — and then, in 2018, his beloved town was devastated by the Camp Fire.
“The towers burned, so we had no communication…our police radios were gone — we were kind of on an island,” he said. “I’ve never been in a war zone, but I can imagine that that looked exactly like a war zone.”
Today, Crowder is the mayor of Paradise, and on a very special edition of “LA Stories with Giselle Fernandez,” he walks Fernandez through Paradise, showing how the city has been able to slowly rebuild since 2018 — offering some hope and comfort to those in the southland who have been devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Known as the deadliest fire in California history, the Camp Fire claimed 85 lives and burned more than 150,000 acres.
While the destruction was indescribable, Crowder was inspired by the incredible resilience of the townspeople and their ability to bounce back.
“This fire… it took 95% of our town, but it couldn’t touch our community spirit,” he said. “And that spirit is probably more alive now than it was pre-fire.”
Today, Paradise continues to rebuild. Businesses are open, schools are functioning and the trademark community spirit lives on.
While there is still work to be done, Crowder sees a bright future for his town. More importantly, he wants to assure those impacted by recent fires, especially in places like the Palisades and Altadena, that they are not alone and Paradise stands ready to help.
“To all of them, I would say, you are not alone in this. We’ve been there, done that, had that book and you don’t stand by yourself,” he said. “The town of Paradise absolutely stands with you and is willing to help you in any way we can, whatever it takes.