Montanez, Stone & Davila Families' Fire Recovery Effort

Evacuation orders and oppressive flames

Before sunrise on Jan. 8, my brother Bryan, sister-in-law Dani, and one-year-old niece Melina (Meli) evacuated from their Altadena home as the fast-moving Eaton fire closed in. Just blocks away, Dani’s parents, Rene and Dana Stone, and her grandmother, Helen Montanez, were also forced to flee. They left with only the essentials: Important documents, a couple of days’ worth of clothes, and a prayer that their homes would be spared. But the blaze spread quickly, consuming everything in its path.

Bryan and Dani’s first home together on Wapello Street was lost. Rene and Dana’s home on Terrace Street, where Dani and her younger sister Alexandria (Alex) grew up, was destroyed. The family’s heart and hub – Grandma Helen’s home on North Glenrose Avenue, a revolving door for generations of family and friends – was reduced to nothing.

Alex, a baby sister to us all, watched the devastation unfold on TV and online from UC Santa Barbara, receiving updates from her brave mom over the phone. Alex could only sit in anguish as the home where she grew up was consumed by flames.

There’s no place like home

Grandma Helen has lived in Altadena for more than 60 years. Her parents were Mexican immigrants who arrived in the United States nearly a century ago. Pasadena was their chosen community where they raised 10 children, became U.S. citizens, and were community organizers known for helping others.

Rene Stone, Dani’s dad, has worked for the premier research university Caltech for 37 years and, by way of his job and charitable nature, also has invested so much love and care into the City of Roses and its people.

My brother Bryan, together with my sister-in-law Dani, are widely celebrated for their generous, loving spirit and brilliant creative endeavors, having dedicated their lives to bringing people together. From hosting Latin American artists with their crew Late Night Laggers to creating a warm and loving home for their daughter Meli, they have built a life rooted in family, connection and community.

For each of them, this special community called Altadena is home.

What happens now?

Unbelievably, all three branches of this family tree now face immeasurable losses.

I share all of this with you because, in our culture, family, faith and community are everything and I want be clear that this Go Fund Me is intended to help three families who lost everything.

I’m asking for your financial support so that they may begin the journey of getting back on their feet and preserving our family’s Altadena legacy. Thank you in advance for your kindness, generosity and prayers - we will work with Go Fund Me to disburse funds to the family as soon as possible.

Please stay tuned for updates and please reshare.

With love and gratitude,

Shiara Davila-Morales

Bryan's Sister

Hacienda Heights, CA