Among the most iconic losses was Cressman's General Store near Shaver Lake. The landmark had been a hub for locals, cabin owners and travelers for more than a century. When the Creek Fire swept through in September 2020, the store - and the home and business of Ty and Tara Gillet - was reduced to rubble.
The Gillets' story was first told in the ABC30 documentary Mountain Strong: Surviving the Creek Fire. At the time, their property was still covered in ash and twisted metal. The question then was if - and when - Cressman's could return.
Setbacks and resilience
For Ty and Tara, the years that followed were marked by both determination and hardship. They battled red tape, insurance delays and construction setbacks. Then came a personal crisis: in 2023, Tara was diagnosed with cancer.
"We're still trying to rebuild the store, rebuild our lives, take care of our family and then we have this huge thing," Tara said. "Ty became my primary caregiver, taking me to chemo every week, multiple surgeries and doctor's appointments all the time."
Ty admitted it was overwhelming, but quitting was never an option.
"It's overwhelming, but you don't have that luxury or that option of being overwhelmed," he said. "You just do what you have to do, whatever it takes to take care of family."
The couple says the community rallied around them through it all. Meals, flowers and words of encouragement arrived at their door.
"Mostly the community is what keeps us going," Ty said. "When you see how important a place like Cressman's is to everybody else, that's what keeps the motivation."
Rebuilding begins
This summer brought a long-awaited milestone: the foundation was poured for the new store. Ty and Tara stood with their children as concrete trucks rumbled across the site.
"That was amazing," Ty said. "That cleaned up the site. You can walk around on it now and kind of visualize where everything's going to be. It felt like the turning point where quitting wasn't even an option."
To honor its history, the couple embedded a century-old horseshoe from the original store into the new foundation.
What's next
Framing is scheduled to begin soon, with plans to get the building sealed before winter weather sets in. The Gillets hope to reopen Cressman's by spring.
The new store will be larger, with more room for local products, a small eating area and online ordering for travelers heading to and from the mountains.
"When we open that door for the first time and let customers in or see our friends, I think it'll be a surreal moment," Tara said. "Like, we actually did this."
A landmark reborn
For Ty and Tara, Cressman's is more than a business. It's a symbol of resilience, rooted in family and community.
"The biggest thing I probably learned is that the people are the most important thing," Ty said. "The community, your family, your friends -- it's all about the people."
Five years after the Creek Fire, the Gillets are proving that from loss can come renewal - and that an iconic mountain landmark can rise again.
To learn more about the Creek Fire, watch ABC30's EMMY award winning documentary, Mountain Strong: Surviving the Creek Fire.