Bouncing back

FILLMORE, Calif. -- Many thought the collapse of turn-of-the-century buildings and homes during a 1994 earthquake had doomed tiny Fillmore, a quaint village of old-fashioned shops and mountain scenery that was a Hollywood favorite.

But residents took on a spirited "we'll rebuild" attitude, and a decade later the tight-knit agricultural community in Ventura County has been reborn.

Businesses are thriving and a housing boom has officials focused on limiting growth in the city, which is still embraced as a TV and movie backdrop.

"I would never wish the earthquake to happen," said deputy city clerk Steve McClary. "You would never say it was a good thing, but it did open a lot of doors for us. The city looks a lot better than it did prior to Jan. 17, 1994. It's better today than it ever was."

The Los Angeles area took the brunt of the magnitude-6.7 Northridge quake, with 72 dead, 9,000 injured and $25 billion in damage.

There were no deaths in Fillmore and only 40 minor injuries. But damage to its businesses and public buildings exceeded $250 million.

Its once-appealing collection of downtown general stores and barber shops was reduced to fallen bricks, collapsed awnings and shattered glass. The landmark Masonic Lodge and Fillmore Hotel collapsed, and half the structures on Central Avenue, the city's main street, were condemned.

Seventy-two homes were destroyed; 82 had major structural damage.

It was a monumental disaster for the town of 12,000 residents. But Fillmore's troubles got little publicity as the media focused on the Northridge epicenter about 20 miles to the southeast.

"We always kinda felt a little bit slighted," then-Mayor Linda Brewster said. "Half our downtown was lost. ... We're mostly mom-and-pops, and it was livelihoods we were talking about."

Some assembly required

The town's spirit became evident within days of the quake. Businesswoman Cecelia Corl had a quick hit with ball caps that read, "City of Fillmore, Some Assembly Required."

City leaders, meanwhile, elbowed their way into line to get Fillmore's fair share of state and federal disaster funds.

"We ended up having a lot of help, but at first, we didn't. We had to yell," Brewster said.

Now, the rubble is gone and new historic-looking buildings are in place. Palm trees line Central Avenue, businesses thrive and people are moving into new houses where orange groves once stood.

The city's overall population has grown by more than 2,000 since the ground shook. Planners expect Fillmore will have 22,000 residents by 2020, many of whom will be lured by new developments of affordable homes.

"The few people who left town left California," Brewster said. "But you don't know where an earthquake will be."