This 2019 article on the fire that ripped through Paradise, CA does a better job than any other at describing the escalation, traffic jams, and end-of-life state of mind that happens when a wildfire overtakes your town. Truly a worthy read.
‘We Have Fire Everywhere’: Escaping California’s Deadliest Blaze (Published 2019)
For eight hours last fall, Paradise, Calif., became a zone at the limits of the American imagination — and a preview of the American future.
nytimes.com