Support Our Journey: Anna & Dieterich's Eaton Fire Recovery

Dear Family & Friends,

Many of you know we lost our Altadena home to the Eaton Fire. In addition to landmark churches, small businesses, and schools, the fire decimated our little building and most of our surrounding neighborhood. Luckily, we are safe, out of harm’s way, and all of our closest neighbors made it out in time.

On January 7th, 2025, hurricane-force Santa Ana winds exacerbated the rapid spread of the Eaton Fire. While monitoring safety alerts on our phones, we never fathomed that a warning would become a mandatory evacuation order. Feeling helpless from afar, we relied on live updates from Watch Duty, Genasys, CALFire, and LA County Fire, and watched in profound horror as the fire grew.

We are grateful to be safe, healthy, and away from the toxic ash and smoke. Our material possessions: mementos, books, plays, furniture, clothes, guitars, amps, upright piano, photos, cameras, lighting and audio equipment, computers, artwork and art supplies, household goods, cookware, keepsakes, trinkets, journals, suits, dresses, boots, costumes, antiques, pantry items, a classic car, a Vespa, houseplants, and decades of individually curated and combined belongings that comprised our humble living space—are all gone.

Many of you have asked how you can help us rebuild for the future. Like many wildfire victims, we found the simplest way for anyone who wishes to support us is by contributing to this GoFundMe. The Presidential disaster declaration may provide us with federal and state relief through FEMA. This process will likely take months, and we are maneuvering our way through the application process to see if we qualify.

Any donation made to this GoFundMe account will help us offset any disaster relief assistance. Your support will help us navigate the search for a new, more permanent home. All donations will be used to support the myriad needs that are not covered by FEMA. We greatly appreciate any assistance you feel inclined to give, whether through a donation or by proactively helping us broaden the reach of this campaign by sharing our GoFundMe with your network.

Our dear friend Jay jumped into action a week ago and set up a GoFundMe for Dieterich. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to those who have already contributed. Please do not feel obligated to donate twice. All donations will be used to support our recovery efforts. Know that your love and concern for us are more valuable than any dollar amount. With the encouragement of our loved ones to help us move forward, we know that we will be okay.

Our hearts hurt for the LA community, the far-reaching damage caused by the wildfires, and the loss of hearth and home. Having experienced 9/11 in NYC, I feel a familiar sense of numbness and disbelief. The surreal tragedy of the Eaton Fire is inspiring the same outpouring of community support, taking action, and moving forward. Altadena Strong now lives firmly in our hearts, and we will walk through this together and thrive.

With love and gratitude,

Anna + Dieterich