Eaton Fire Took Our Home: Help Us Recover

My name is Deborah and this was my home for nearly 40 years. My family did not get anything out of the house before it burned down. They were out of town and I was on the other side of LA for work when the fire started and stayed

away the whole night due to the high winds that were throwing debris on the freeway as I began to drive back. Had no idea the fire would spread so west and so low in Altadena. Like others, we lost our personal items like our clothes and furniture and also lost irreplaceable items connected with our past. Even though we were lucky that we have insurance, we are now also coming to grips with underinsurance, even for rental coverage in this tight market.

The house was especially important for my adult son with special needs who needs to remain based in the area for services. My husband and I are both over 65 years old and this house was supposed to provide a secure place for him in the future. As we realized that independence might not be in the cards for him and given the lack of housing for people with disabilities (one of the main topics of our autistic support groups), we hoped to make a way that he might live near a family member, like his twin sister, on the property with a bit of independence. Never did we ever think something like this could upend the plan. This experience has been very unsettling emotionally for all of us, especially for my autistic son who is having trouble understanding what happened and feels guilty that he did not “rescue” items that may not be covered by insurance like his high grade desktop computer, his Canon camera, his hard drives with files that contained years of VFX, graphic design and animation projects that he planned to use for seeking employment.

Any amount will be appreciated in our attempt to recover. Please note these funds will not be used to cover any costs covered by our insurance company or by FEMA (such as covered personal possessions or debris removal). Instead, your generous contributions will help us manage needs not covered by other sources of assistance as we work through this very complicated process of rebuilding our life.

Thanks for your time and consideration. We appreciate your thoughts and your prayers.

Please note Disclaimer: Member of the family is an employee considered an official with LA City Planning. We deeply appreciate your compassionate support but unfortunately can not accept contributions above $100 from anyone who has an association with the department caused by a project review (like a permit) or a contract.