Burn Scars

Lodge Profile

Burn Scars

IN PARADISE, TABLE MOUNTAIN № 124 IS HELPING A COMMUNITY MOVE FORWARD.

By Tony Pierucci

It doesn’t look like much—drab and grey, like the moonscapes where it’s typically found. But for those who know, the burn morel mushroom is a sign of hope and rejuvenation. Requiring intense heat to fruit, it only grows in the aftermath of wildfires and, consequently, is highly sought-after by chefs and foodies. It is evidence of rebirth and the doggedness necessary to carry on.

The burn morels have blossomed in the town of Paradise, which in 2018 saw the Camp Fire decimate nearly everything in its path. Now, the mushrooms are an apt symbol of a community reborn. Because while the Camp Fire had the effect of scouring the town, what has risen from the ashes is an undeniable sense of community.

This fall, nearly six years on from the date of the fire—at the time, the most disastrous conflagration in California history—the people of Paradise gathered to celebrate a bit of progress and, in some sense, begin to close that devastating chapter in their lives. With local officials and Masonic dignitaries on hand, Table Mountain № 124, a lodge that has played an outsize role in Paradise’s recovery, was ceremonially rededicated, followed by a special outdoor degree ceremony, welcoming back a membership that had reasonably wondered whether Masonry would survive in this area.

Like nearly everyone in Paradise, members of the lodge faced horrible losses during the fire.

In just a matter of hours, 19,000 buildings burned, forcing 50,000 people to evacuate. In all, the fire claimed 85 lives and caused more than $16 billion in damage. Thankfully, no members were killed, but almost everyone had property destroyed, and 20 lost their homes. “It was completely devastating,” says treasurer Rich Gingerly Jr. “In the moment, we couldn’t really think about the lodge building. People were concerned about getting out.”

Above: Grand Master G. Sean Metroka speaks during the Table Mountain Lodge rededication on September 7, 2024.

Somehow, the lodge withstood the fire, albeit with significant smoke damage, even as neighboring buildings were burned to the ground. However, “It wasn’t a miracle,” says current lodge master Ehren Hawkins. “It was directly thanks to the work of a group of firefighters, who saw the lodge building and the library across the street and made the decision to save them. They knew these buildings would be central to rebuilding the community.”

California Freemason: Members of Table Mountain Lodge No. 124 — *Past Grand Master G. Sean Metroka with members of Table Mountain Lodge No. 124.*

Indeed, the lodge has been just that. When members learned shortly after the fire that children were sleeping on the floors of temporary homes, they donated sleeping bags. When the holidays rolled around, they donated toys. The lodge hosted a makeshift prom for the local high school. Members restarted their Public Schools Night celebration.

The lodge did all this while struggling itself. Almost overnight, 50 percent of its membership had moved away. Those who stayed met at Chico-Leland Stanford № 111, as the Paradise lodge wouldn’t be inhabitable for another year. Newcomers stepped into leadership positions, and several out-of-towners elected to pay lodge dues to Paradise just to keep its membership rolls up.

Hawkins, who lives in Chico, was one of several Masons from nearby who became integral to the lodge’s recovery. “It was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass up,” he says. Feeling a need to help his neighbors, he approached Table Mountain during the pandemic. Now master, he had the honor of rededicating the lodge.

Gingerly, who was only a Fellow Craft at the time of the fire, put off being raised as a Master Mason for a year in order to hold his degree back in Paradise. “People saw me get emotional a couple of times,” he says of the rededication, “but it wasn’t from sadness. It was from feeling joyful to see the lodge full again.”

With the lodge now reopened and rededicated, attention is turning to member recruitment. Already, 12 new Masons have joined up—a testament, Hawkins says, to the standing the lodge has in the community. “To see those pedestals get filled with local men has been incredible,” Gingerly says.

Of course, there’s still work to be done. Up next is a day of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, to help rebuild a home lost in the fire. “We’ll continue to be here for the community of Paradise and our members,” Hawkins says.