Video shows sign of life despite the devastation of Creek Fire near Shaver Lake

On a rural road in the vicinity of Shaver Lake and just a couple miles south of where Cressman’s General Store once stood, one could navigate through some of the destruction caused by the Creek Fire.

Peterson Road had been cleared by crews up to a certain point while going east toward Blue Canyon.

But this was far from the usually peaceful drive.

Thousands of trees had been charred to the ground with some still emitting smoke, confirming the devastation caused by one of the largest wildfires in California history.

Homes had been destroyed on both sides of the road.

Gray and black ash covered practically everything in sight.

And yet, amid this somber scene that seemed to go for miles and miles, Mother Nature on this drive revealed a surprise.

A young deer was spotted up a hill, appearing unscathed.

The deer stared back as a car drove by, perhaps just as surprised as the driver in the vehicle that life in the foothills still existed.

“You look around, it looks like everything is dead,” said Fresno Bee photographer Eric Zamora. “Then you see this deer and realize, wildlife manages to live.”

The deer’s survival could serve as hope for others: That amid the seeming insurmountable loss, the mountain community, too, can persevere.

This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 9:15 AM.