Five years after the Creek Fire, Cressman's General Store is being rebuilt near Shaver Lake

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif (KFSN) -- It has been 5 years since the Creek Fire became 1 of the largest wildfires successful California history. The occurrence destroyed much than 850 homes, burned astir 380,000 acres crossed Fresno and Madera counties, and near upland communities everlastingly changed.

Among the astir iconic losses was Cressman's General Store adjacent Shaver Lake. The landmark had been a hub for locals, compartment owners, and travelers for much than a century. When the Creek Fire swept done successful September 2020, the store - and the location and concern of Ty and Tara Gillet - was reduced to rubble.

The Gillets' communicative was archetypal told successful the ABC30 documentary Mountain Strong: Surviving the Creek Fire. At the time, their spot was inactive covered successful ash and twisted metal. The question past was if - and erstwhile - Cressman's could return.

Setbacks and resilience

For Ty and Tara, the years that followed were marked by some determination and hardship. They battled reddish tape, security delays, and operation setbacks. Then came a idiosyncratic crisis: successful 2023, Tara was diagnosed with cancer.

"We're inactive trying to rebuild the store, rebuild our lives, instrumentality attraction of our family, and past we person this immense thing," Tara said. "And Ty became my superior caregiver, taking maine to chemo each week and aggregate surgeries and doctor's appointments each the time."

Ty admitted it was overwhelming, but quitting was ne'er an option.
"It's overwhelming, but you don't person that luxury oregon that enactment of being overwhelmed," helium said. "You conscionable bash what you person to do, immoderate it takes to instrumentality attraction of family."

The mates says the assemblage rallied astir them done it all. Meals, flowers, and words of encouragement arrived astatine their door. "Mostly the assemblage is what keeps america going," Ty said. "When you spot however important a spot similar Cressman's is to everybody else, that's what keeps the motivation."

Rebuilding begins

This summertime brought a long-awaited milestone: the instauration was poured for the caller store. Ty and Tara stood with their children arsenic factual trucks rumbled crossed the site.

"That was amazing," Ty said. "That cleaned up the site. You tin locomotion astir connected it present and benignant of visualize wherever everything's going to be. It felt similar the turning constituent wherever quitting wasn't adjacent an option."

To grant its history, the mates embedded a century-old horseshoe from the archetypal store into the caller foundation.

What's next

Framing is scheduled to statesman soon, with plans to get the gathering sealed earlier wintertime upwind sets in. The Gillets anticipation to reopen Cressman's by spring.

The caller store volition beryllium larger, with much country for section products, a tiny eating area, and online ordering for travelers heading to and from the mountains.

"When we unfastened that doorway for the archetypal clip and fto customers successful oregon spot our friends... I deliberation it'll beryllium a surreal moment," Tara said. "Like, we really did this."

A landmark reborn

For Ty and Tara, Cressman's is much than a business. It's a awesome of resilience, rooted successful household and community.

"The biggest happening I astir apt learned is that the radical are the astir important thing," Ty said. "The community, your family, your friends... it's each astir the people."

Five years aft the Creek Fire, the Gillets are proving that from nonaccomplishment tin travel renewal - and that an iconic upland landmark tin emergence again.

To larn much astir the Creek Fire, ticker ABC30's EMMY grant winning documentary, Mountain Strong: Surviving the Creek Fire.