Honey Run Covered Bridge in Chico, California, was the only triple-span covered bridge in the U.S.
Honey Run Covered Bridge in Chico, California, was the only triple-span covered bridge in the U.S.
Photo: Jmoor17/Getty Images/iStockphoto
McDonald's in Paradise, Calif., as the Camp Fire devours the town, 15 miles east of Chico. The top photo shows the fast-food restaurant before it was engulfed in flames.
McDonald's in Paradise, Calif., as the Camp Fire devours the town, 15 miles east of Chico. The top photo shows the fast-food restaurant before it was engulfed in flames.
Photo: Oakland Fire Department
BEFORE: Honey Run Covered Bridge, Chico
The Honey Run Covered Bridge was the only triple-span covered bridge in the U.S. Read our story here.
BEFORE: Honey Run Covered Bridge, Chico
The Honey Run Covered Bridge was the only triple-span covered bridge in the U.S. Read our story here.
Photo: Jgreesonarts/Getty Images/iStockphoto
AFTER: Honey Run Covered Bridge, Chico
The historic Honey Run Covered Bridge connecting Chico and Paradise was destroyed in the Camp Fire.
AFTER: Honey Run Covered Bridge, Chico
The historic Honey Run Covered Bridge connecting Chico and Paradise was destroyed in the Camp Fire.
A view of an ARCO Gas station located at 7575 Skyway, Paradise, Calif.
BEFORE: ARCO, Paradise
A view of an ARCO Gas station located at 7575 Skyway, Paradise, Calif.
Photo: Google Maps
AFER: ARCO, Paradise
Rocklin police officer Randy Law tends to a horse that was found wandering after the Camp Fire moved through the area on Nov. 9, 2018 in Paradise, Calif.
AFER: ARCO, Paradise
Rocklin police officer Randy Law tends to a horse that was found wandering after the Camp Fire moved through the area on Nov. 9, 2018 in Paradise, Calif.
Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
BEFORE: Blackbear Diner, Paradise
A local place for American comfort food.
BEFORE: Blackbear Diner, Paradise
A local place for American comfort food.
Photo: Google Maps
AFTER: Blackbear Diner, Paradise
The popular restaurant burns as the Camp fire tears through Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2018.
AFTER: Blackbear Diner, Paradise
The popular restaurant burns as the Camp fire tears through Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2018.
The Adventist Health Feather River hospital is a 101-bed acute care hospital with an array of outpatient departments and services. The hospital still stands but sustained significant damages.
The Adventist Health Feather River hospital is a 101-bed acute care hospital with an array of outpatient departments and services. The hospital still stands but
A composite image shows the Honey Run Covered Bridge before and after it was destroyed by the Camp Fire in Butte County this week
A composite image shows the Honey Run Covered Bridge before and after it was destroyed by the Camp Fire in Butte County this week
Photo: Kurtis Alexander (l)/Getty (r)
132-year-old Honey Run Covered Bridge, the last of its kind, destroyed by wildfire
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An iconic Butte County bridge that connected Chico to Paradise was destroyed in the Camp Fire. It is thought to be the last surviving structure — a three-span Pratt-style truss bridge — of its kind in the United States.
The Honey Run Covered Bridge was built in 1886 as a crossing for Butte Creek. In 1988, the structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
By Friday, the popular gathering and photo spot was reduced to a pile of ash. All that remained of the structure were its bright red trusses that lifted the bridge a few feet above the creek.
The bridge served as the first road between Chico and Paradise, a necessary crossing after the discovery of gold in Butte County in the late-19th century, according to the website of the Honey Run Covered Bridge Association.
After the wooden cover was added in 1901, the bridge was in continuous use until a panel truck slammed into the creaky structure in 1965. Because the damage was so extensive, the county decided to build a new bridge a few yards upstream. Residents were so disturbed by the idea of tearing down the bridge, they formed the Honey Run Covered Bridge Association to preserve and maintain it.
When the 2008 Humboldt Fire threatened the bridge, firefighters reportedly told their managers that they would save the bridge over the nearby fire station, according to the Chico Enterprise Register. Both were saved from the conflagration thanks to a low-flying tanker's timely retardant drop.
The bridge would not survive a second tango with wildfire, nor would the caretaker's house nearby, the Register said. It is not known if the fire station survived.
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