The story of how a school bus driver and an elementary school teacher managed to save 23 students as the Camp Fire consumed the Northern California town of Paradise in 2018 is the subject of movie recently released in theaters and online after having its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in September.
In Shasta County and elsewhere, “The Lost Bus” debuted on Apple TV+ on Oct. 3.
Based on a true story, the movie stars Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey as the bus driver, Kevin McKay, and Academy Award nominee America Ferrera as Mary Ludwig, the teacher from Ponderosa Elementary School in Paradise.
According to the movie’s credits, several people who survived the massive wildfire also appeared as themselves, including Beth Bowersox, who was on duty as a dispatcher when the Camp Fire ripped through her town of 26,000.
The Camp Fire, which occurred in November 2018, is considered the most destructive wildfire in California history. It killed 85 people, burned down 18,000 structures and wiped out most of the community’s homes.
Read more: Mystery surrounds last person missing from the Camp Fire
Faulty Pacific Gas and Electric Co. equipment sparked the blaze and high winds fueled the fire’s spread through Butte County, destroying the town of Paradise and some surrounding communities.
The movie relays the desperation and confusion of residents trying to evacuate as the unpredictable fire tore through the area, turning the town into a blast furnace. Scenes in the movie showed the school bus traveling through flames on winding, unpaved mountain roads barely wider than the vehicle, through heavy smoke that blanketed out the sun.
Read more: A day of horror: Everywhere they ran, the Camp Fire followed
The movie was filmed in New Mexico in locations including Ruidoso, Sante Fe, Espanola and Truchas.
The film was based on the book “Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire” by author Lizzie Johnson.
Michele Chandler covers dining, food, public safety and whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at [email protected]. Please support our entire newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: ‘The Lost Bus’ movie about survival during Camp Fire out on Apple TV+
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