Nine months after it burned, the Camp Fire takes its 86th victim

Homes are seen destroyed off of Edgewood Lane following the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018. Homes are seen destroyed off of Edgewood Lane following the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2018 Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2018 Image 1 of / 48 Caption Close Nine months after it burned, the Camp Fire takes its 86th victim 1 / 48 Back to Gallery

Nine months after the Camp Fire scorched more than 150,000 acres in Butte County, the 86th fire victim has died.

Paul Ernest, 72, of Paradise died this week of injuries sustained in the blaze, Butte County officials confirmed. Ernest, who was living at a care home in West Sacramento, had badly damaged lungs and third-degree burns. The Chico Enterprise-Record reports doctors determined his lungs had stopped oxygenating and would not recover function.

At the time of the fire, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Paul and Suzie Ernest's harrowing escape from their home on Edgewood Lane in Paradise. Trapped in by flames, the Ernests fled with neighbor Travis Wright on their all-terrain four-wheelers. They made it to a boulder, where they crouched behind for protection as the fire exploded around them. Paul covered Suzie with his body.

Paul and Suzie suffered second- and third-degree burns as the fire briefly passed over them. Wright was able to get help on his ATV, bringing back firefighters who evacuated the Ernests to a hospital.

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The Camp Fire is the deadliest wildfire — by far — in California history. The 1933 Griffith Park fire in Los Angeles comes in at No. 2 with 29 lives lost. The Camp Fire also destroyed over 18,000 structures, decimating the entire town of Paradise.

Ernest is survived by his wife Suzie, sons Jessee and Jake Ernest, and daughter Arielle Funk.

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Katie Dowd is an SFGATE Senior Digital Editor. Contact: katie.dowd@sfgate.com