<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://s.w-x.co/bearadise.gif" srcset="https://s.w-x.co/bearadise.gif 400w, https://s.w-x.co/bearadise.gif 800w" > The Black Bear Diner's iconic bear stands alone in front of the destroyed restaurant. (Google Earth and Josh Edelson/Getty Images) (Google Earth and Josh Edelson/Getty Images)

The Camp Fire, which incinerated the town of Paradise, California, is now the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history. The blaze killed dozens and left family and friends desperate to find the many more that remain missing.

Paradise, home to some 27,000 residents, has become the ground zero for the wildfire tearing through Northern California. The Butte County town has been all but wiped clean off the map by a fire that's claimed thousands of homes and structures, some of which belonged to the emergency responders who were fighting to evacuate the town and get residents to safety.

"It’s my community, it’s where I grew up. It’s something I absolutely had to do ," said Colusa Police Sgt. Jarrod Hughes, who lost his Paradise home. "There was no question about it. It was to get my family to safety so I can get in and get back up there and help everybody else."

(MORE: 'Miracle' Discovery in Paradise Home Gutted by Wildfire )

Hughes is one of the 30-plus officers who lost their homes in the blaze but continued to report for duty to help locate missing people and victims, the Butte County Sheriff's Office said.

Below are before and after images from Paradise showing the level of devastation the town has suffered.

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://s.w-x.co/paradiseinn.gif" srcset="https://s.w-x.co/paradiseinn.gif 400w, https://s.w-x.co/paradiseinn.gif 800w" > The Paradise Inn is seen ablaze during the fire's overtaking of the town. (Google Earth and Josh Edelson/Getty Images) (Google Earth and Josh Edelson/Getty Images)

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://s.w-x.co/thisnthat.gif" srcset="https://s.w-x.co/thisnthat.gif 400w, https://s.w-x.co/thisnthat.gif 800w" > This N That, a consignment store in Paradise, is overrun by flames. (Google Earth and Josh Edelson/Getty Images) (Google Earth and Josh Edelson/Getty Images)

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://s.w-x.co/treasures.gif" srcset="https://s.w-x.co/treasures.gif 400w, https://s.w-x.co/treasures.gif 800w" > Treasures from Paradise, an antique store, is destroyed after the Camp Fire blazes through town. (Google Earth and Noah Berger/AP) (Google Earth and Noah Berger/AP)