NPR

Paradise Bobcats Football Team Gives California Town Hope After Fires

One bright spot for the fire-devastated town of Paradise, Calif., is the high school football team. The Paradise Bobcats finished the regular season undefeated.
Kasten Ortiz plays right tackle on the offense, and says he's glad this football season has helped boost the community's sense of pride.

A year after one of the country's most destructive wildfires ravaged Paradise, Calif., just 3,000 people have returned full time to a town that was once home to 27,000 . Many are commuting to school in Paradise from surrounding cities and towns, including almost all of the town's high school football team, the Bobcats.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
After Two Boeing 737 Max Crashes, Families Are Still Seeking Answers From DOJ
More than five years after two 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people, families of the victims are still pushing the Justice Department to hold Boeing accountable. They're frustrated by the response.
NPR5 min read
Netflix's 'Baby Reindeer': A Dark, Haunting Story Bungles Its Depiction Of Queerness
The new series, based on creator and star Richard Gadd's one-man show, depicts queer sexuality as something that happens to people.
NPR1 min readInternational Relations
Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry Has Resigned As A Transitional Council Takes Over
Haiti's de facto prime minister, Ariel Henry, has formally stepped down and a new transitional council has been sworn in. Finance chief Michel Patrick Boisvert is the new interim prime minister.

Related Books & Audiobooks