Camp Fire
Worth Sharing: Faculty-led Wildfire Research Published in Prestigious Journal
A listing of professional achievements by Chico State faculty, staff, and students.
Research in the Aftermath of the Camp Fire Reveals the Threat of Wildfires on Water Quality
Critical research by faculty at Chico State, UC Boulder, and USGS aims to identify preventative insight to help mitigate future wildfires.
Community Support Drives Camp Fire Survivor and Anthropology Major to Give Back
Artist, anthropology major, and Camp Fire survivor Kate Minderhoud credits two scholarships for helping make her college dreams come true. Next step: grad school.
2023–24 California State Budget Includes Funding for New Human Identification Laboratory at Chico State
The 2023–24 state budget calls for a $3 million allocation to secure bonds that will fund a new facility.
New Facility for University’s Human Identification Laboratory Included in California State Budget May Revise
Facility will provide critical upgrades for the only full-time forensic anthropology lab in the state to support its investigations, disaster response and law enforcement training.
Professor Pens Wildfire Playbook to Guide Community Preparedness
Lindsey Nenadal spent two years leading the development and publication of a 'Wildfire Playbook' that is now available for download.
Camp Fire Survivor Returns to Rebuilt Home and Hope in Butte Creek Canyon
Four years after the Camp Fire, Cindy Wolff is back living in Butte Creek Canyon, in a new home designed with fire in mind.
PARADISE U Helps Elementary Students Rediscover the Joy of Movement
PARADISE U, a physical education program created by kinesiology professor Cathrine Himberg, helps students discover the benefits and joy of movement.
Interior Architecture Students Design Free Floor Plans for Wildfire Survivors
Under the guidance of interior architecture professor Rouben Mohiuddin, 30 design students have worked on floor plans that have now been used to build more than a dozen homes in the Camp Fire footprint.
Alumna Chooses Nature to Nurture Others
Blake Ellis is at the leading edge of harnessing the natural world’s healing powers—even when that environment itself may trigger anxiety.
Ancestral Land in Butte Creek Canyon Returned to the Mechoopda Tribe
In the first agreement of its kind in the state, ownership and management of the 93-acre Butte Creek Ecological Preserve has been transferred from Chico State Enterprises to the Mechoopda Indian Tribe.
Disaster-Focused Course Prepares Social Workers for the Future
A social work course centered in community healing uses the region's experience with the Camp Fire to educate the disaster case managers of the future.
Paradise Continues to Rebuild and Evolve Three Years After the Camp Fire
Three years after the Camp Fire scattered the residents of Paradise, the town continues its rebuilding process—while also evolving.
Camp Fire Scholarship Recipient Pays It Forward
After losing his home in the Camp Fire, Chase Suihkonen embraced the opportunity to attend Chico State so he could further his education while staying close to home to help his community recover.
Construction Management Furthers Contributions to Honey Run Covered Bridge Rebuild
Students and faculty remain a driving force in the rebuild of the Honey Run Covered Bridge, lost to the Camp Fire in 2018.
‘One Day at a Time’
Five Wildcats Rise Fire Recovery Fund grant recipients share stories of what their journeys have been like since November 8, 2018.
Camp Fire Survivor Finds Confidence Through a Stranger’s Generosity
Realizing someone she didn't know was rooting for her success empowered Jenessa Ramirez to believe in herself.
Mapping Lab Takes Closer Look at Population Displaced by Camp Fire
As a team of Chico State researchers continues to study the initial movements of those displaced by the Camp Fire, as well as where they are now, their findings are revealing.
Chico State to Join Greater Community in Camp Fire Remembrance
At 11:08 a.m. November 8, the Trinity Hall bells will chime to begin 85 seconds of silence commemorating the 85 lives lost in the Camp Fire, with the bells chiming once again to conclude the remembrance.
Preeminent Anthropologist Earns Honors for Service
An international expert in the recovery of human remains, Eric Bartelink has earned statewide honors for his exemplary dedication and achievements.
Engineering for a Better Tomorrow
Whether focused on clean drinking water or eliminating single-use plastics, engineering students spent the last year tackling some of society’s most pressing challenges.
Planning a New Paradise
Marketing graduate students partner with the not-for-profit Rebuild Paradise Foundation to help resolve how to bring businesses and residents back to Paradise.
Engineering an Icon
Students and faculty within the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management are key players in the rebuild of the Honey Run Covered Bridge and adjacent caretaker home.
The Long Process of Healing and Recovery
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Judith Thompson reflects on the immediate and ongoing trauma Camp Fire survivors continue to experience—and how to support healing.
Reimagining What Home Looks Like
Interior architecture students are designing a series of floor plans to help residents rebuild affordable, fire-resistant homes in the Camp Fire footprint.
Feeding a Grieving Community
While recreation administration students volunteer to feed meals for Paradise residents, they're also witnessing a community coming together.
Phoenix Takes Flight
With help of 14,000 keys representing losses in the Camp Fire, alumna Jess Mercer created a statue she hopes will be both a tribute and an inspiration.
Wildcats Rising
Three students share how they are moving forward in the wake of the Camp Fire, with support of a Strada Wildcats Rise Scholarship.
After Paradise: One Year Later
In this special episode of “After Paradise,” North State Public Radio commemorates the year anniversary of the Camp Fire by focusing on where we are now and opportunities for growth.
Mapping a Displaced Population
New maps from an interdisciplinary team of researchers begin to reveal the how, why, and where Camp Fire survivors have moved.
Transforming Recovery into Revival
Junior Baylie Hammitt reflects on how she and students in "Special Event Planning and Operation" helped plan, market, and host the Paradise Revival Festival.
Water Contamination Goes Under the Microscope
A team of faculty and student researchers is examining the magnitude of water contamination that resulted from the Camp Fire, as well as public health and environmental implications.
A Heart for Caring
Senior Brittany Spade's work as the Camp Fire community liaison intern aligns her insatiable drive to help with her aspirations as a recreation administration major.
From the President: Reflections on the Camp Fire Anniversary
President Gayle Hutchinson reflects on the University's recovery and resilience since the Camp Fire and looks forward to our continued role as a neighbor and partner.
‘This Is Not Where It Ends’
With the Camp Fire anniversary approaching, five Wildcat survivors update us in their own words on their ongoing challenges and glimmers of hope.
The Camp Fire’s Forgotten Communities
In chronicling the stories of survivors, the Camp Fire Oral History Project has captured the challenges of recovery among the most rural populations.
Destroyed Piano Plays on in Student Scholarships
The family of legendary professor C. Robert Laxson donated the insurance payout for a cherished heirloom lost in the Camp Fire to an endowment for music students.
One Year Later and 3,000 Miles Away
Savannah Anderson (English, '19) reflects on how Chico State's compassion and community in the wake of the Camp Fire are a presence in her life across the country.
5 Questions with Alumnus Matt Fidler
Matt Fidler (Music, ’01) is a producer at NSPR, and recently produced a five-part podcast series titled "California Burning."
85 Seconds of Silence
President Gayle Hutchinson shares details on the University's participation in a community-wide remembrance of the lives lost in the Camp Fire.