Camp Fire Destroys Historic Butte County Covered Bridge

CHICO (CBS SF) -- It survived the ravages of nature for 132 years, but the iconic Butte County Honey Run Covered Bridge was no match for the destructive fury of the raging Camp Fire.

The bridge, crossing the Butte Creek between Paradise and Chico, was reduced to a pile of a smoldering rubble in matter of minutes as the firestorm roared through.

Gone was a structure has graced numerous family vacation and wedding photo albums. A fall favorite with visitors and local residents alike.

On Saturday, little remained. Some twisted charred metal from its corrugated roof, a couple of bright red trusses that supported the structure and police crime tape draped over the end of the roadway.

Built in 1986, the historic crossing may have been the last surviving three-span Pratt-style truss bridge in the United States and had been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the association that maintained it, the bridge was a key link in the transit system during the late 1800s Gold Rush in Butte County.