John T. Foster fought fires for 30 years in East Contra Costa County, so the 55-year-old retiree had no intention of leaving his new home in Paradise to stare at flames again — until he saw the embers fall and nearby trees catch fire.
The former fire captain and his wife Patty had moved from Brentwood into their bucolic El Dorado Mobile Estates home in July, hoping to enjoy their retirement years hunting, fishing and relaxing. They hadn’t even secured homeowner’s insurance when the Camp Fire broke out Thursday morning. Foster was having a cup of coffee and watching TV news around 7:30 when a neighbor knocked on his door to point out the invading smoke. He awakened his wife and she quickly dressed, put on her flip-flops and grabbed some important papers — just in case.