A town re-emerges from the ashes of a devastating wildfire. But five years on, is Paradise for all?

Stephen Murray has called Paradise home for more than 35 years and became a local hero after helping hundreds of people escape the 2018 fire. Photograph: Rachel Bujalski/The Guardian

Stephen Murray drives the streets of Paradise, California, each day, navigating through roadwork and traffic as he takes in the neat dirt lots and gleaming modern farmhouses on his way to job sites.

Construction is constant in the Golden state’s fastest growing town. Paradise has a revamped high school, thousands of new homes, recently installed emergency alert sirens and plans for miles of freshly paved roads and underground infrastructure.