Camp Fire Story: Lourie Jones evacuated Paradise as flames approached her home

Lourie+Jones+and+some+of+her+family+lived+on+Wildwood+Lane+in+Paradise.+Heres+her+Camp+Fire+evacuation+story.+Photo+credit%3A+Josh+Cozine

Lourie Jones and some of her family lived on Wildwood Lane in Paradise. Here’s her Camp Fire evacuation story. Photo credit: Josh Cozine

Lourie Jones, a Paradise mother of three and grandmother of six, described her Camp Fire evacuation story. Jones and her family fled their apartment on Wildwood Lane in southeast Paradise on Nov. 8, the day the fire started. Here is her story:

Jones sent us a video she took in the car when her family and her evacuated Paradise down Skyway going toward Chico.

Thankfully when we went to Paradise Thursday, we found Jones’ apartment building safe and intact.

Yet this building was lucky because most of the surrounding homes and structures were burned to the ground.

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Just one house down from the Jones home was the house at 5805 Wildwood Lane which completely burnt to the ground. Patches of the home remained such as the chimney and this patriotic flag. Photo credit: Alex Grant
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Several cars were left at people’s homes in Paradise. Photo credit: Alex Grant
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The interior of the 5805 Wildwood Lane home was entirely burnt and crumbled. The only remaining structures were melted, caved-in washing and drying machines next to the homeowner’s car. Photo credit: Alex Grant
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This outdoor rocking bench was a bit seared by the Camp Fire, but somehow managed to survive the worst from the flames. Patches of hope like this scene were littered throughout the burned areas. Photo credit: Alex Grant
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The flames melted, twisted and toppled structures, walls and furniture, yet some smaller objects still stood. Although this outdoor light was broken and charred, it held it’s place next to a stone walking path in what appeared to be the backyard of this home. Photo credit: Alex Grant
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This nearby pool area survived the Camp Fire, but ash sank to the bottom of the pool water. Photo credit: Alex Grant

Alex Grant, Josh Cozine, Olyvia Simpson and Ricardo Tovar worked as a team to interview evacuees and to visit Paradise to locate Jones’ home. The team can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.