I was afraid to click on this for this very thing. Also very sorry. I am a size 6ish/28 in jeans L tops, 8 in shoes and have pretty good taste. Let me know what I can pack up for you and what else you need in a hurry, im just up the coast. eeamato@gmail.com .
So terribly sorry Karen. A family member in LA who was evacuated is still waiting to hear if his home of 40+ years has survived or been incinerated in the Eaton fire. Such an awful disaster.
I'm so sorry, you must be overwhelmed with loss. I don't know if this doc is of any help but it's a checklist some people are using. If we can help with any of these things, ask.
Karen, I am so sorry. When you are in the mindset to process, please let us know how we can help. That goes for others on here who have been affected, too.
Hi Kim. I woke up crying. We evacuated so we are safe but not so sound. Our home was spared but our city was not. Many neighbors and friends lost their homes. Entire streets a few blocks from us are torched and flattened. So it just feels very surreal.
We spent a second night with friends who live about 12 miles from us but the Sunset fire on this side of town had us nervously distracted making dinner last night while getting ready to move again. So we’ve been keeping an eye on the fire weather but it appears this morning that we’re okay here.
Everyone I know has either lost their home, evacuated, or has their bags packed ready to go. It feels much calmer now that the winds have died down but they say that could change. We’ll see.
Feeling cautiously grateful but there’s a hollowness to it.
It's such a relief to learn your home is spared, even if there's smoke damage, but I know firsthand that the panic of an evacuation and the close call and destruction to the community you live in comes with trauma, too. Please take care of yourself. Hugs.
I’m okay, but my 96 yo mother-in-law is not. The Eaton fire in Altadena damaged her home and it’s uninhabitable. She’s now with us. She has dementia and I fear this move will hasten her decline.
I'm so very sorry. You are incredibly brave. Please share if there's any way we can help you from afar. I gave to a mutual aid organization that gives out small grant with no strings attached. Where is your home? My inlaws recently went through the disaster in Asheville, NC and they found World Central Kitchen to be a great food and water resource.
We are currently evacuated but away sending out son off to school. My amazing daughter and my best friend had to evacuate all my animals, the only thing that matters! 14 rabbits. 5 cats. A mouse. Two tortoises. Two rescue squirrels. At 1 in the morning. We still can't go home but when we do I hope it's to my still intact home of 26 years. My heart goes out to those who have lost anything.
Kim, if you need someplace for your cats, I work with a kitten rescue and we have a facility with kennels. We are all pulling our resident kitties into our foster homes to make room for any displaced animals. They will be loved and cared for by our wonderful volunteers.
I’m not good. It is heartbreaking to see beloved places gone - the winery where we held my daughter’s surprise engagement party in 2021 is gone. The funky little fish place where we took the dogs and sat outside for lunch - gone. I can’t get hold of a friend who lives in the Palisades. This is so hard - and I haven’t lost anything. I’m 20 miles away and the air is so bad we can’t go outside.
Air quality is terrible as we are in the evacuation warning zone for the Eaton Fire in Altadena/Pasadena. Close friends have escaped their house burning by three blocks so far.
So happy they’ve lifted restrictions for the Sunset fire as we have multiple friends and relatives who had to leave.
Cats are probably tired of me staring at them making sure they’re okay, haha.
We feel really lucky so far. So many people have lost so much.
It's unfathomable. Everyone we know and love is evacuated and safe, but so many friends' homes lost and destruction of places we love. Red flag warnings everywhere. My girl Harper is a First Responder Therapy Dog and I got the text to head into Malibu's emergency operations center today, but honestly wondered if I could keep it together. It's a lot.
I am a size 9 shoe and size 8-10 pants/ medium to large in shirts. I have clothes that are stylish and in great condition. Please reach out if you’d like me to deliver to you—I’m in Newport Beach and can come to you. erinlavel@gmail.com
I love LA so much, it was where I spent my formative 20s living at the beach, in West Hollywood and in Laurel Canyon. It will always be special to me, and seeing all of the loss happening so quickly has been tough. When we lived in the Santa Cruz mountains further north we were evacuated twice for wildfires with our small children and pets, and there's something chilling about such a force of nature's ability to take with abandon. I am sad today.
Karen, I am so sorry for your loss. The whole city is breaking down and everyone is in a holding pattern waiting to evacuate or worse, managing the shock of losing everything so quickly. The speed with which these fires continue to burn through the neighborhoods is unbelievable. The winds have died down and the skies are filled with rancid smoke. The fires continue to burn and the fire department is stretched so thin that there’s not a lot of good news concerning containment of any of the fires. We are all glued to the Watch Duty app to get updates and evacuation information. I am lucky to be in an evacuation stand by area and my heart breaks for everyone who lost their homes. I am a catering chef and we are heading into high awards season which is usually very busy but I have had all my jobs cancel with promises to postpone the events to a later date. We’ve had earthquakes and storms before but this is almost worse because you don’t know when it will all stop.
My home in Malibu was destroyed in a firestorm in 1993 so I have a sense of what those of you in the fire zones are going through. But these fires are far worse than any I experienced in 35 years of living in Malibu and then Santa Monica. I am so, so sorry for those of you who have lost your homes, schools and towns. My pharmacy, cleaners etc were all in the Palisades and I bought my groceries there. The village is gone, plus Pali High, the beautiful Public Library and more. I wrote a piece for The NY Times Home section about the experience, about the meaning of stuff and home. I can’t attach a link because the Times eliminated work by freelancers from its archive. I’ll try sending it to Kim and if you’d like to Kim, maybe you could post it in the comments. Writing it was therapeutic for me at the time and it might help others.
Thanks for your interest. I have a digital copy in Word of my NYT story but I can’t figure out how to post it or a link to it here. The NYT eliminating work by freelancers from its archives had to do with a dispute with the Author’s Guild, I think, and it wasn’t temporary.
So, I did a search and I found it, it is still on there. It is dated Nov 11, 1993 and titled Confronting Fires of the Heart and Mind - so people can find it. (I'm not putting a link in case that is illegal, etc ... )
It's a wonderful piece, Mimi. Though, now I am even more sorry you had to go through all of that.
You found it! I was still quite raw when I wrote the piece, but many positive things happened after the fire. More than 30 years later, I wish I could tell people who lost their homes that everything will be ok, but the truth is for some, that won’t be the case. I had a supportive family and friends and resources and the devastation throughout the area was much less. We stayed with friends for a few weeks after the fire. It is sadly ironic that their home in the Palisades burned last week.
A kind of adrenaline takes over in a crisis. I remember getting busy after the fire, trying to restore some sense of normalcy. Watching coverage of the fires now and talking to friends in CA my reaction is more emotional. My heart is breaking too.
And today is the day of Jimmy Carter's state funeral - a decent man in an increasingly indecent time.
Listened to it on the radio and found myself weeping. It felt like a funeral for an entire world
Our home burned down as well as our two cars. It's unbelievable to know you've lost everything.
Oh that is just awful. So sorry.
I was afraid to click on this for this very thing. Also very sorry. I am a size 6ish/28 in jeans L tops, 8 in shoes and have pretty good taste. Let me know what I can pack up for you and what else you need in a hurry, im just up the coast. eeamato@gmail.com .
Great idea —thanks—you’ve inspired me to offer the same as I live in O.C. and can drive to deliver
So terribly sorry Karen. A family member in LA who was evacuated is still waiting to hear if his home of 40+ years has survived or been incinerated in the Eaton fire. Such an awful disaster.
This is unfathomable. Please share if there is anything we can do to help you.
I'm so sorry, you must be overwhelmed with loss. I don't know if this doc is of any help but it's a checklist some people are using. If we can help with any of these things, ask.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14NE21eAUknNDWnYcuOrDNLmJVtlgAsVz/view
Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. Sending you best wishes and thankfulness that you are alive.
Karen, I am so sorry. When you are in the mindset to process, please let us know how we can help. That goes for others on here who have been affected, too.
I’m so, so sorry
I’m so, so sorry.
There are no words - cannot imagine. I'm so sorry.
My heart goes out to you, Karen. So sorry.
I am so so sorry.
I'm so sorry Karen.
Sorry to hear this Karen.
I’m so sorry.
So very sorry.
Hi Kim. I woke up crying. We evacuated so we are safe but not so sound. Our home was spared but our city was not. Many neighbors and friends lost their homes. Entire streets a few blocks from us are torched and flattened. So it just feels very surreal.
We spent a second night with friends who live about 12 miles from us but the Sunset fire on this side of town had us nervously distracted making dinner last night while getting ready to move again. So we’ve been keeping an eye on the fire weather but it appears this morning that we’re okay here.
Everyone I know has either lost their home, evacuated, or has their bags packed ready to go. It feels much calmer now that the winds have died down but they say that could change. We’ll see.
Feeling cautiously grateful but there’s a hollowness to it.
It's such a relief to learn your home is spared, even if there's smoke damage, but I know firsthand that the panic of an evacuation and the close call and destruction to the community you live in comes with trauma, too. Please take care of yourself. Hugs.
Thank you.
I’m okay, but my 96 yo mother-in-law is not. The Eaton fire in Altadena damaged her home and it’s uninhabitable. She’s now with us. She has dementia and I fear this move will hasten her decline.
heartbreaking
So sorry to hear this.
I’m so sorry.
I'm so very sorry. You are incredibly brave. Please share if there's any way we can help you from afar. I gave to a mutual aid organization that gives out small grant with no strings attached. Where is your home? My inlaws recently went through the disaster in Asheville, NC and they found World Central Kitchen to be a great food and water resource.
We are currently evacuated but away sending out son off to school. My amazing daughter and my best friend had to evacuate all my animals, the only thing that matters! 14 rabbits. 5 cats. A mouse. Two tortoises. Two rescue squirrels. At 1 in the morning. We still can't go home but when we do I hope it's to my still intact home of 26 years. My heart goes out to those who have lost anything.
Kim, if you need someplace for your cats, I work with a kitten rescue and we have a facility with kennels. We are all pulling our resident kitties into our foster homes to make room for any displaced animals. They will be loved and cared for by our wonderful volunteers.
Thank you! My cats are staying w friends!
Incredible. Thank you!
Sending you, your family and your wonderful animals love.
I’m not good. It is heartbreaking to see beloved places gone - the winery where we held my daughter’s surprise engagement party in 2021 is gone. The funky little fish place where we took the dogs and sat outside for lunch - gone. I can’t get hold of a friend who lives in the Palisades. This is so hard - and I haven’t lost anything. I’m 20 miles away and the air is so bad we can’t go outside.
Air quality is terrible as we are in the evacuation warning zone for the Eaton Fire in Altadena/Pasadena. Close friends have escaped their house burning by three blocks so far.
So happy they’ve lifted restrictions for the Sunset fire as we have multiple friends and relatives who had to leave.
Cats are probably tired of me staring at them making sure they’re okay, haha.
We feel really lucky so far. So many people have lost so much.
PS. So sorry for your personal loss.
It's unfathomable. Everyone we know and love is evacuated and safe, but so many friends' homes lost and destruction of places we love. Red flag warnings everywhere. My girl Harper is a First Responder Therapy Dog and I got the text to head into Malibu's emergency operations center today, but honestly wondered if I could keep it together. It's a lot.
Kim, I’m very sorry for your loss. It seems like how 2025 has started for many of us.
Also, please let us know how Jenn Romolini and her family are doing if you can.
So far they are OK and safe.
Lost our home. Devastated. But safe with dog and kids.
I am so so sorry Jackie.
I am a size 9 shoe and size 8-10 pants/ medium to large in shirts. I have clothes that are stylish and in great condition. Please reach out if you’d like me to deliver to you—I’m in Newport Beach and can come to you. erinlavel@gmail.com
I love LA so much, it was where I spent my formative 20s living at the beach, in West Hollywood and in Laurel Canyon. It will always be special to me, and seeing all of the loss happening so quickly has been tough. When we lived in the Santa Cruz mountains further north we were evacuated twice for wildfires with our small children and pets, and there's something chilling about such a force of nature's ability to take with abandon. I am sad today.
Karen, I am so sorry for your loss. The whole city is breaking down and everyone is in a holding pattern waiting to evacuate or worse, managing the shock of losing everything so quickly. The speed with which these fires continue to burn through the neighborhoods is unbelievable. The winds have died down and the skies are filled with rancid smoke. The fires continue to burn and the fire department is stretched so thin that there’s not a lot of good news concerning containment of any of the fires. We are all glued to the Watch Duty app to get updates and evacuation information. I am lucky to be in an evacuation stand by area and my heart breaks for everyone who lost their homes. I am a catering chef and we are heading into high awards season which is usually very busy but I have had all my jobs cancel with promises to postpone the events to a later date. We’ve had earthquakes and storms before but this is almost worse because you don’t know when it will all stop.
https://wingsofrescue.org Non profit for animals located in L.A.
We are currently OK. Air quality is of course terrible. Thank you for asking.
My home in Malibu was destroyed in a firestorm in 1993 so I have a sense of what those of you in the fire zones are going through. But these fires are far worse than any I experienced in 35 years of living in Malibu and then Santa Monica. I am so, so sorry for those of you who have lost your homes, schools and towns. My pharmacy, cleaners etc were all in the Palisades and I bought my groceries there. The village is gone, plus Pali High, the beautiful Public Library and more. I wrote a piece for The NY Times Home section about the experience, about the meaning of stuff and home. I can’t attach a link because the Times eliminated work by freelancers from its archive. I’ll try sending it to Kim and if you’d like to Kim, maybe you could post it in the comments. Writing it was therapeutic for me at the time and it might help others.
I'd be interested to read it - and I'm sorry to hear that about the archives. (Maybe it is temporary, I hope.) Also, I'm sorry you went through that!
Thanks for your interest. I have a digital copy in Word of my NYT story but I can’t figure out how to post it or a link to it here. The NYT eliminating work by freelancers from its archives had to do with a dispute with the Author’s Guild, I think, and it wasn’t temporary.
So, I did a search and I found it, it is still on there. It is dated Nov 11, 1993 and titled Confronting Fires of the Heart and Mind - so people can find it. (I'm not putting a link in case that is illegal, etc ... )
It's a wonderful piece, Mimi. Though, now I am even more sorry you had to go through all of that.
You found it! I was still quite raw when I wrote the piece, but many positive things happened after the fire. More than 30 years later, I wish I could tell people who lost their homes that everything will be ok, but the truth is for some, that won’t be the case. I had a supportive family and friends and resources and the devastation throughout the area was much less. We stayed with friends for a few weeks after the fire. It is sadly ironic that their home in the Palisades burned last week.
https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/11/garden/confronting-fires-of-the-heart-and-mind.html?smid=url-share
It is times like these when we find out who our real friends are.
I hope all the people affected have at least one!
I would love to read your piece, Mimi. My heart is breaking for everyone.
https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/11/garden/confronting-fires-of-the-heart-and-mind.html?smid=url-share
A kind of adrenaline takes over in a crisis. I remember getting busy after the fire, trying to restore some sense of normalcy. Watching coverage of the fires now and talking to friends in CA my reaction is more emotional. My heart is breaking too.