The so-called “Camp Fire” of 2018 caused massive damage, burning more than 150,000 acres, resulting in 86 fatalities and multiple injuries, and destroying nearly 19,000 physical structures in the Town of Paradise and surrounding northern California communities (collectively known as “Paradise Ridge”). To address the enormous and ongoing impact on residents and businesses, EPS led a multidisciplinary team for 3CORE, the private nonprofit Economic Development District serving the region, in preparing a Regional Economic Impact Analysis report of the Camp Fire. The document continues to serve as a comprehensive resource and foundational element to support ongoing sustainable economic recovery in the region.
The EPS-led team conducted extensive research and interviewed over 40 public- and private-sector stakeholders to assist in understanding the regional economy immediately before and after the Camp Fire disaster. The study documented how this rural, northern California region experienced major population and employment shifts, a substantial decline in its regional housing supply, and economic hardships for the business community, including declines in Gross Regional Product, a commonly used metric measuring economic well-being. The EPS team also developed residential and employment growth scenarios to assist in understanding a potential range of socioeconomic changes that could be anticipated as the region recovers and regains population and jobs. Relying on input from a wealth of information collected during the stakeholder interviews, the EPS team identified several post-fire challenges and offered opportunities and strategies to address them.
