California engulfed by fire and smoke. Photo: A Journey through NYC religions
The Baptist Press service reported: “With the Camp Fire in northern California speeding toward Magalia in the early hours of the morning Nov. 9, Doug Crowder, pastor of Magalia Pines Baptist Church, was loading into vehicles about 30 people who had been unable to evacuate the town. They had taken shelter at the church building with him and four other church members. ‘We were in the driveway planning to leave,” Crowder told Baptist Press through tears, “and the entire world erupted.’
There had been no fire in the adjacent businesses or woods, he said. But suddenly ‘the woods exploded. The Subway restaurant across the street exploded, and on all sides of us was fire.’
So the church members hurried people back inside the building and prayed — watching flames shoot horizontally between buildings and listening to thousands of gallons of propane detonate at a hardware store next door.
When they emerged the next day, everything around the church had been incinerated, but “we were totally unscathed — totally,” Crowder said. “The fall leaves were still on the trees” on the church’s property.
The Camp Fire began Nov. 8 and quickly leveled Magalia, home to about 12,000 residents 90 miles north of Sacramento, and adjacent Paradise, where about 27,000 people live. The fire’s 42 confirmed deaths as of Nov. 13 made it the deadliest blaze in California history. It destroyed more than 7,000 structures, most of them homes, according to media reports.
Most Magalia and Paradise residents evacuated, but Crowder stayed behind to help the elderly, the homeless, those without enough gas for their vehicles and others who couldn’t evacuate.” Crowders’ home as well as those of about 75% of congregants and those of the pastors of three nearby Baptist churches were destroyed.”
In Paradise, most congregations lost buildings, including Our Savior Lutheran Church (LCMS), Ridge Presbyterian Church (PCA), Paradise Church of Christ, First Assembly of God, Craig Memorial Congregational Church, Paradise Foursquare, New Life Apostolic Church, Paradise Pentecostal Church of God, Community Church of the Brethren, and Hope Christian Church. A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) meetinghouse and a Center for Spiritual Living were also destroyed. Also damaged or destroyed was the Seventh-Day Adventist Health Feather River Hospital.
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