Even armed with knowledge of the destruction, the many deaths, the scores of charred buildings the conflagration had left in its wake, Bakersfield Fire Capt. Paul Briones had difficulty believing his eyes as he arrived in the town of Paradise.
One of a number of local firefighters sent to assist with the massive Camp Fire last month, Briones said what he saw was nothing short of apocalyptic in scope.
"It was unlike anything I could ever imagine," Briones said. "It was complete and utter devastation."
"No one has ever seen anything like that."
Christopher Campbell, another Bakersfield Fire captain sent to the scene, said there was "fire everywhere," burning for miles and pushing smoke out even further.
The Camp Fire, the deadliest blaze in California history, swept across more than 150,000 acres beginning Nov. 8. It wiped out Paradise, killing an estimated 88 people and burning nearly 14,000 residences before it was fully contained Nov. 25.
Thousands of personnel from fire companies and law enforcement agencies descended on the area as the wildfire burned, some battling the blaze as it continued to flare in the mountains, others protecting structures and putting out hot spots where the flames had already passed.
In short, the most destructive blaze in state history brought about a correspondingly huge response, and firefighters from Kern County were among the crews who made their way to base camps in Butte County to do what they could to help.
For Briones and Campbell, that moment came soon after word began to spread of just how terrible a toll the fire wrought soon after igniting around 6:30 a.m. Nov. 8.
The two were in separate teams but were sent out that same afternoon on engines staffed with other Bakersfield Fire Department personnel, and were part of strike teams made up of engines from several cities.
The drive to the base camp in Chico took close to seven hours. While still an hour outside their destination, visibility began to diminish. The smell of smoke grew stronger and flames were visible in mountains to the east.
In Chico itself, smoke surrounded everything. Briones said many firefighters there wore surgical masks throughout their stay and limited outdoor activity.
Briones' crew arrived at 10 p.m. They bedded down for the night. At 7 a.m., they headed out for their first assignment.
They drove to a small, relatively new community just below the town proper of Paradise, Briones said. There they searched buildings for occupants and put out hot spots. Several structures had burned, as well as a large swath of trees and grass.
"Things you would expect to see," Briones said.
That first 24-hour shift didn't hold any surprises. The team then had a day's rest.
Their second shift sent them into Paradise. Briones is a 12-year veteran of the fire department, and he worked alongside people with 30-plus years' experience firefighting.
They were stunned by what they saw.
Block after block of burned out houses, hotels, bowling alleys, restaurants and convenience stores stretched before them. Little had been left untouched by the blaze.
"You hear of instances where a couple hundred homes have been lost, and that's a big deal," Briones said. "But to see the utter devastation of buildings consumed by the fire, it was unimaginable."
Anything wooden was gone, Campbell said. He was particularly struck by all the telephone poles that had disappeared. Guardrails lay on the ground because the wood supporting them had burned up completely.
Stationed to protect structures in different areas, the captains compartmentalized what they saw and did their jobs. Dozens had died in the surrounding area, but thinking too closely about that would only hamper their efforts.
"You have to put your focus on the task at hand and keep doing what you're doing otherwise it can make you crazy," Campbell said.
Briones said the resiliency of the human spirit can surprise people. Even when it looks like the situation is beyond helping, there is the potential to make a difference, he said.
The captains spent 11 days there before it rained, finally helping to clear the smoke out of the area. They missed their families. Conditions were rough.
But there were uplifting moments, too.
While in Chico, they noticed members of the community had banded together and were expressing an attitude of determination and positivity.
Briones said any time they went to Costco or a laundromat on their days off at least five or six people would come up and say, "Thank you for being here." Those words made a difference and helped bring their spirits up, Briones said.
"I was proud to represent Bakersfield. I'm proud of the work we did. But you have mixed feelings because you know it was so devastating and you wish you could do more."
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