44 Comments

Important update: Miya survived!!!!!!

Expand full comment

We lost our home. All of our friend’s houses are gone. My daughter’s school is gone. So much grief and heartbreak. Altadena is such a special place. I hope everyone rebuilds. I hope they don’t allow the developers to come in and ruin it.

I’m so glad your home and all of your sentimental things were spared. I was worried about you! I think I may have chatted with you one day last year at Elementi? At least I thought it might be you but didn’t want to fan out.

Expand full comment

Hollye, I’m so, so sorry. I’m thinking of you and your family—what a traumatic thing to experience. If there’s anything I can drop off to you please let me know. 🤍

Expand full comment

I live next door in La Canada. We were spared. So heartbroken for my Altadena neighbors.

Expand full comment

Glad you’re ok 🩷 our best friends had the only house left standing on their street. It will take so long to recover our community. I’m so, so sad. Sending you a big NELA hug 🫂

Expand full comment

I’m so sad too. But there are a lot of us who love this city so much, I have faith we’ll rebuild with abundance. Stay safe, Michelle!

Expand full comment

Love you neighbor. ❤️

Expand full comment

Love you back!

Expand full comment

so beautifully written, brought me to tears. i’m feeling for the community big time right now, grateful we haven’t had to evacuate yet but also know that could change at any minute. stay safe!!!

Expand full comment

Beautifully written, Ali! I’m glad your home is okay & that you’re safe.

I just commented to my husband that it feels like Tuesday night was a month ago. Our evacuation order was lifted tonight, so tomorrow we will leave this Airbnb and return to La Cañada, where by some miracle our community is physically untouched and will be wind-swept but more or less look the same.

When I think about the dear, dear neighborhood of Altadena, my breath snags and my eyes fill with tears. After every open house I’ve ever held there, I come home to my husband and tell him we need to move our family because Altadena people are the very best kind of people. They are educated and kind, and they make good jokes. They are artists and musicians and famous and nobody and Black and brown and white and gay and straight and chefs and literal geniuses (thanks to JPL and CalTech) and authors and winemakers and beekeepers and book clubbers and dog lovers and hikers and live music listeners and pizza eaters. They are the best. And now the houses are ash and the trees are charred black sticks.

Please everyone donate what you can to the families’ and small businesses’ GoFundMes. $10 donations add up fast!

And if you are in the LA area and have an ADU or rental property that’s available, please DM me so I can add it to the list of off-market rentals my brokerage is keeping to share with those in need. ❤️ The list of those in need is LONG. The list of available rentals is short (and so expensive).

Expand full comment

I’m so so glad you get to go home, Ashleigh. And thank you for your words—I can’t agree more.

I know a sweet young family of 3 looking for a short or long term rental after losing everything—do you have somewhere or someone I can point them to for help?

Expand full comment

They can call or text me and I will do my best to help - 203.822.2131

There's not a lot available. We are beating the bushes to find more housing.

Expand full comment

Ali, I resonated with this so much 😭😭. Before we evacuated, I stood around my house not sure what to grab because it all felt so important. You just feel so paralyzed in the moment. It breaks my heart knowing that so many people will never get those important things back. Anyway, I’m so glad you’re safe (and we’re safe too!). Just so heartbroken for our communities. Love to you! ❤️

Expand full comment

Take care, stay safe.💕

Expand full comment

Good to know you are safe. As we witness the horrific state of the world, time and time again we are reminded that all we have is each other in these dire times.

Expand full comment

Sending you so much love. This has been gutting to watch from afar, so I can only imagine how terrible it is to experience.

Expand full comment

We are watching from Canada, and are devastated for all of you. I will check the list as I have been looking for a way to help, thanks for sharing and I am so glad your home is safe.

Expand full comment

Sending love and hope to you and everyone impacted 🤎🙏🏽

Expand full comment

This is terrible, terrible, terrible. What also started off with panic about the beloved Eames House has unfolded into worrying deeply about 95% of the people and places I adore while on the other side of the planet. I’ve been thinking of you in that group of people!

Thank you for keeping all of us updated!!! I hope for a miraculous end to the fires and smoke and that you’ll be comfortable in your beautiful space very, very soon. I’m so sorry, Ali. 💔

Expand full comment

I’m so sorry for all of it. 💔

Expand full comment

It is unbelievably tragic for everyone: For those who lost everything, for those who didn't and will still live with the trauma of witnessing it, and for those who've been through it before. We've had devastating fires in Napa Valley where I live but they don't begin to compare to this. Stay strong. Be careful. And thank you for sharing.

Expand full comment