We study the C8.4-class solar flare SOL2016-05-14T11:34 UT using high-resolution spectral imaging in the Ca ii 8542 line obtained with the CRISP imaging spectropolarimeter on the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope. Spectroscopic inversions of the Ca ii 8542 line using the non-LTE code NICOLE are used to investigate the evolution of the temperature and velocity structure in the flaring chromosphere. A comparison of the temperature stratification in flaring and non-flaring areas reveals strong footpoint heating during the flare peak in the lower atmosphere. The temperature of the flaring footpoints between log τ 500 − 2.5 and − 3.5 , where τ500 is the continuum optical depth at 500 nm, is ∼ 5 - 6.5 kK close to the flare peak, reducing gradually to ∼ 5 kK . The temperature in the middle and upper chromosphere, between log τ 500 − 3.5 and −5.5, is estimated to be ∼6.5-20 kK, decreasing to preflare temperatures, ∼5-10 kK, after approximately 15 minutes. However, the temperature stratification of the non-flaring areas is unchanged. The inverted velocity fields show that the flaring chromosphere is dominated by weak downflowing condensations at the formation height of Ca ii 8542 .