Fire consumed their Altadena home. Now, a new life brings hope.
- - Fire consumed their Altadena home. Now, a new life brings hope.
Suzette Hackney, USA TODAYJanuary 7, 2026 at 5:08 AM
0
ALTADENA, California – Newlyweds Ryan and Jasmine Lovell were in Fiji on their honeymoon – enjoying a romantic seafood dinner and a personalized chef-decorated dessert to mark the occasion of new nuptials – when their phones started blowing up.
Frantic text messages, neighborhood alerts, sorrowful and devastating voicemails from family members. Something really bad was happening back home – and things seemed to be getting worse by the minute.
It was Jan. 7, 2025.
Fire was eating up the bone-dry hillsides of the Pacific Palisades, and Eaton, just at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Santa Ana winds were relentless, pushing and pushing the hungry embers.
TOP A firefighter sprays water on a burning home while battling the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025. The destructive and deadly wind-driven Eaton Fire ripped through Altadena, California, on Jan. 7, 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures. The fire is the fifth deadliest and the second most destructive wildfire in California history. Getty Images staff photographer Justin Sullivan revisited some of the locations he covered during the fire, nearly one year after it happened.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP A firefighter sprays water on a burning home while battling the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025. The destructive and deadly wind-driven Eaton Fire ripped through Altadena, California, on Jan. 7, 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures. The fire is the fifth deadliest and the second most destructive wildfire in California history. Getty Images staff photographer Justin Sullivan revisited some of the locations he covered during the fire, nearly one year after it happened.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/uLHzR8F.8t_p3BNbS24u5w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjYz/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/588c190ef05b080c990f1b96e0d29735 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP A firefighter sprays water on a burning home while battling the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025. The destructive and deadly wind-driven Eaton Fire ripped through Altadena, California, on Jan. 7, 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures. The fire is the fifth deadliest and the second most destructive wildfire in California history. Getty Images staff photographer Justin Sullivan revisited some of the locations he covered during the fire, nearly one year after it happened.
">TOP A firefighter sprays water on a burning home while battling the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025. The destructive and deadly wind-driven Eaton Fire ripped through Altadena, California, on Jan. 7, 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures. The fire is the fifth deadliest and the second most destructive wildfire in California history. Getty Images staff photographer Justin Sullivan revisited some of the locations he covered during the fire, nearly one year after it happened.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/uLHzR8F.8t_p3BNbS24u5w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjYz/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/588c190ef05b080c990f1b96e0d29735 class=caas-img>TOP Wind bends palm trees as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Trees line a street nearly one year after the Eaton Fire on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP Wind bends palm trees as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Trees line a street nearly one year after the Eaton Fire on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/KkhnqeakianoLBYFrVPNFw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjY3/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/0b43ff128a8e01d392cb7a01b5e4b52b class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP Wind bends palm trees as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Trees line a street nearly one year after the Eaton Fire on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP Wind bends palm trees as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Trees line a street nearly one year after the Eaton Fire on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/KkhnqeakianoLBYFrVPNFw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjY3/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/0b43ff128a8e01d392cb7a01b5e4b52b class=caas-img>TOP Residents dig through the remains of their family's home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP Residents dig through the remains of their family's home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ppl90DH9iWadH0aXUhZXYQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjg4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/a3da79ad4d87371fc690dee2d6133f93 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP Residents dig through the remains of their family's home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP Residents dig through the remains of their family's home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ppl90DH9iWadH0aXUhZXYQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjg4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/a3da79ad4d87371fc690dee2d6133f93 class=caas-img>TOP A home burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Eaton Fire has grown to over 10,000 acres and has destroyed many homes and businesses. BOTTOM A construction worker walks through a construction site of a home that is being rebuilt nearly one year after the Eaton Fire destroyed it on Dec. 19, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP A home burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Eaton Fire has grown to over 10,000 acres and has destroyed many homes and businesses. BOTTOM A construction worker walks through a construction site of a home that is being rebuilt nearly one year after the Eaton Fire destroyed it on Dec. 19, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/nypQrECtPm7TzGaDRwBivw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjgx/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/c76a195c699087217dbc059443fbfaa3 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP A home burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Eaton Fire has grown to over 10,000 acres and has destroyed many homes and businesses. BOTTOM A construction worker walks through a construction site of a home that is being rebuilt nearly one year after the Eaton Fire destroyed it on Dec. 19, 2025.
">TOP A home burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Eaton Fire has grown to over 10,000 acres and has destroyed many homes and businesses. BOTTOM A construction worker walks through a construction site of a home that is being rebuilt nearly one year after the Eaton Fire destroyed it on Dec. 19, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/nypQrECtPm7TzGaDRwBivw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjgx/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/c76a195c699087217dbc059443fbfaa3 class=caas-img>TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A burn scar is visible on the street in front of a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A burn scar is visible on the street in front of a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/LiDetwNJ1pSSN_2qXUAv6A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzA4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/014ff136ec5fe147747f0d025afd0f26 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A burn scar is visible on the street in front of a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A burn scar is visible on the street in front of a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/LiDetwNJ1pSSN_2qXUAv6A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzA4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/014ff136ec5fe147747f0d025afd0f26 class=caas-img>TOP Wind pushes embers into a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP Wind pushes embers into a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ZAQJPJNNAnJVhXaQd9nB0w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjQ4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/4e665e0688afa1b92bc25a3836c39a08 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP Wind pushes embers into a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP Wind pushes embers into a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ZAQJPJNNAnJVhXaQd9nB0w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjQ4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/4e665e0688afa1b92bc25a3836c39a08 class=caas-img>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on a burning home as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago is seen under construction on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on a burning home as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago is seen under construction on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bPZn5RwX3k8jDo.HE7LimA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzE2/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/11699620746ff458c7386a5c801c5a18 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on a burning home as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago is seen under construction on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on a burning home as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago is seen under construction on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bPZn5RwX3k8jDo.HE7LimA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzE2/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/11699620746ff458c7386a5c801c5a18 class=caas-img>TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/zuRop6l66UxOAIZ_0i6e5Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzIx/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/a6aaeda47b60205ee2e74226cefaea00 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/zuRop6l66UxOAIZ_0i6e5Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzIx/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/a6aaeda47b60205ee2e74226cefaea00 class=caas-img>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters pull a hose in front of a burning home as the Eaton Fire moved through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters pull a hose in front of a burning home as the Eaton Fire moved through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/S2l6mXf9grj5OsxSOZPeEA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzE1/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/fabe4e21487d0ad332d0183efad85534 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP Los Angeles County firefighters pull a hose in front of a burning home as the Eaton Fire moved through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP Los Angeles County firefighters pull a hose in front of a burning home as the Eaton Fire moved through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/S2l6mXf9grj5OsxSOZPeEA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzE1/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/fabe4e21487d0ad332d0183efad85534 class=caas-img>TOP A resident removes valuables from his home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP A resident removes valuables from his home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/xghLDueEZGgcFLJG60.amQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzAw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/4bcaaba889851d05f939954b9865e279 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP A resident removes valuables from his home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP A resident removes valuables from his home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/xghLDueEZGgcFLJG60.amQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzAw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/4bcaaba889851d05f939954b9865e279 class=caas-img>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on burning homes as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A view of a street that was ravaged by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on burning homes as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A view of a street that was ravaged by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/KuiOCxEw_N8mvzDEpdCYSg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjUw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/9d88a09e874f9c7632d8dd4cce4b0f89 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on burning homes as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A view of a street that was ravaged by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
">TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on burning homes as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A view of a street that was ravaged by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/KuiOCxEw_N8mvzDEpdCYSg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjUw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/9d88a09e874f9c7632d8dd4cce4b0f89 class=caas-img>TOP Fire engulfs a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Roses bloom on a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP Fire engulfs a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Roses bloom on a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hKN4WvJWdeFB2hpsr86oqA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjc5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/bfcee69ca828fbaaf74c125b1ee3f20d class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP Fire engulfs a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Roses bloom on a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
">TOP Fire engulfs a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Roses bloom on a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hKN4WvJWdeFB2hpsr86oqA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjc5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/bfcee69ca828fbaaf74c125b1ee3f20d class=caas-img>TOP A vintage car sits parked in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 18, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec.18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP A vintage car sits parked in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 18, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec.18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/S1CqlP4DHw4eZfHTM2U7gg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjU1/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/a7505c7bc76a89de75bed6dec8710fcf class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP A vintage car sits parked in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 18, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec.18, 2025.
">TOP A vintage car sits parked in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 18, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec.18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/S1CqlP4DHw4eZfHTM2U7gg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjU1/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/a7505c7bc76a89de75bed6dec8710fcf class=caas-img>TOP A resident inspects the remains of her home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP A resident inspects the remains of her home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/tq32duco_WYkFWydik6RRQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjg5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/a725efce913f0c44271408837eaa2647 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP A resident inspects the remains of her home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP A resident inspects the remains of her home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/tq32duco_WYkFWydik6RRQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjg5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/a725efce913f0c44271408837eaa2647 class=caas-img>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters try unsuccessfully to get water from a hydrant as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A pedestrian walks by a former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters try unsuccessfully to get water from a hydrant as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A pedestrian walks by a former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/TAhivVL4c9QUfKSno7vQNg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjg3/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/c64ba6f660958a98b4aea239170a238c class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP Los Angeles County firefighters try unsuccessfully to get water from a hydrant as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A pedestrian walks by a former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP Los Angeles County firefighters try unsuccessfully to get water from a hydrant as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A pedestrian walks by a former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/TAhivVL4c9QUfKSno7vQNg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjg3/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/c64ba6f660958a98b4aea239170a238c class=caas-img>TOP A business burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A sign remains standing at a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP A business burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A sign remains standing at a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YepCxFnJ_t6ZJrVj8SHUpA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzA4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/51e3f9bc4b2bbd69edb12b1762196007 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP A business burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A sign remains standing at a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
">TOP A business burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A sign remains standing at a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YepCxFnJ_t6ZJrVj8SHUpA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNzA4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/51e3f9bc4b2bbd69edb12b1762196007 class=caas-img>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters attempt to put out a fire at a Bank of America as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>TOP Los Angeles County firefighters attempt to put out a fire at a Bank of America as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/pSraKJ9by8Ssxv9oLvGVXg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjk2/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/48609fea97c556f13749283a228fdcd1 class=caas-img data-headline="See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later" data-caption="
TOP Los Angeles County firefighters attempt to put out a fire at a Bank of America as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
">TOP Los Angeles County firefighters attempt to put out a fire at a Bank of America as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/pSraKJ9by8Ssxv9oLvGVXg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjk2/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/48609fea97c556f13749283a228fdcd1 class=caas-img>
1 / 17See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later
TOP A firefighter sprays water on a burning home while battling the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025. The destructive and deadly wind-driven Eaton Fire ripped through Altadena, California, on Jan. 7, 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures. The fire is the fifth deadliest and the second most destructive wildfire in California history. Getty Images staff photographer Justin Sullivan revisited some of the locations he covered during the fire, nearly one year after it happened.
Ryan Lovell’s oldest sister was in California, watching flames licking closer and closer to the family’s Altadena home. The home where her newly married brother and sister-in-law planned to join her, live and raise a family. The same house where Ryan was brought home as an infant.
Another generation was meant to reside there, of course. That's what their mother, Gloria Lovell, always intended. Gloria was a nurse who managed racism at work – one of a few Black people – and managed to buy a house with her ex-husband. She would raise her children here, scraping by on a nurse’s salary.
So for the family matriarch, generational wealth could only exist in the form of a house. Four walls. A home where her children and their offspring might thrive. Something tangible she could leave as a legacy of love. Something she believed might help level the playing field for her Black family.
Ryan Lovell walks through the remnants of his family home in Altadena, California on Jan. 21, 2025.
That playing field would become leveled. And not at all how Gloria Lovell once envisioned this promise for the future.
Achim Airitam, Ryan Lovell’s sister, knew she needed to evacuate the 1912 Craftsman located at 2172 Maiden Lane. The electricity flickered off, and she couldn’t find a flashlight. She panicked. What important documents should she grab? Could she safely escape? Where would she go?
“She was not able to gather my mother’s ashes, our parents’ wedding albums, or our childhood mementos. She barely had time to escape.” Lovell told me. “It broke her.”
Scorched homes. Scorched memories.
It became clear to me what I was witnessing, even almost two weeks after the wildfires devoured parts of Southern California. Put simply, it was the worst natural disaster I had ever experienced in my 32 years as a professional journalist.
For blocks and blocks, rows of brick chimneys stood defiant, unshakable among the rubble of scorched homes. Scorched memories. Scorched dreams.
Leveled.
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputies and cadaver dogs were on the move, still searching for human remains. The missing. Those whose family members and friends desperately tried to reach them, but heard nothing back.
Hillsides, once green, or at least brown, looked black. You could follow the violent path of the flames just by examining the former lush vegetation that served as an entrypoint to the Altadena neighborhood.
The towering palms, now destroyed from the trunks to the fronds, remained upright. The loaded citrus trees – oranges, lemons and grapefruits – relinquished their bounty to the ground. Burned sweetness and deliciousness unable to survive despite any internal water content.
When I visited Altadena after the fires, I was struck by the residents tearfully sifting through their properties looking for anything salvageable. Because of all the toxic materials that burned, they had not been allowed back home for those two weeks.
I wanted to console them. Give them hugs. But I saw their stone faces, their grief, their disbelief. What could I, a stranger, possibly offer? At first glance, I’m certain it would have appeared like I was just there to do my job, to report about this tragedy.
The burnt remains of the Lovell family home in Altadena, California.
I was. But I wasn’t. Until a few months before the wildfires, Los Angeles had been my home, too.
I prayed for them. I prayed that God’s mercy would guide and comfort them through this most distressing reality. Because it was, without a doubt, some of the most awful imagery I will take to my grave.
While in the field, while meeting these people and experiencing their palpable sorrow and loss, I constantly fought back waves of vomit – only because I was wearing a full-face respirator mask to protect my lungs from the toxins.
I’ll never be whole again. So I can’t imagine the everlasting suffering – both mental and physical – from those who actually lived in Altadena and survived this nightmare.
'Maybury for African Americans'
The fast-moving Eaton Canyon fire destroyed nearly 9,500 structures, damaged more than another 1,000, burned more than 14,000 acres and killed 19 people.
But it snuffed out so much more.
This was a community filled with Black and Brown people, those who created a place one survivor described as “Maybury for African Americans.”
Ryan Lovell, left, and his sister, Achim Airitam, watch as their family home is demolished in Altadena, California, on June 5, 2025.
This was a place that became a refuge for Black people who fled the Jim Crow South in the early 20th century, searching for better lives and a respite from systemic racism. This was a place where homeownership was passed down to the next generation, often the bellwether of familial wealth. This was a place where families settled, grew, loved – and ultimately lost.
This quaint community 13 miles north from Los Angeles proper, was a haven to the roughly 44,000 people who lived here.
It was among the California cities including LA., Oakland, and San Francisco that played pivotal roles during the Great Migration, when Black folks moved mostly from the South to establish a better life – one without overt racism.
Altadena became “that place.”
Until it wasn’t. Until the fires.
Workers sort through remnants on the property of the family home of Ryan Lovell in Altadena, California, on June 5, 2025.
Since the Civil Rights Movement, small business entrepreneurs, artists, and activists flourished. While the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act in 1968 officially ended “redlining,” the practice of denying Blacks and other communities of color access to housing, many people of color continued to migrate to Altadena in the 1960s and early 1970s.
But like so many disasters that disproportionately victimize Black and Brown people, slow warnings and evacuation alerts, particularly for western part of Altadena, meant more people died from the wildfires than in other areas of Southern California.
“I have no plans to return to Altadena,” former resident Joelle Moeisseau-Phillips told me. “I am heartbroken but there just isn’t a clear, affordable path that makes sense. On top of that, I’m concerned about the health of the folks who stay or return. And it will never be the same. It was a sweet little oasis full of diversity with a wonderful Black community nestled inside. That’s not coming back.”
Establishing firm roots
For the final goodbye midnight snack of their Fiji honeymoon, the resort’s chef again sent Ryan and Jasmine Lovell a round of personalized sweet treats. Absolutely personal. And remarkably sweet.
One container boasted a vanilla pastry with strawberry icing swirls. The chef carefully scrawled a heartfelt and gutwrenching message.
It was a single word.
Sorry.
When the couple were preparing to leave Fiji, packing suitcases – and heavy hearts at the idea of what they would see and experience when they returned to Southern California – they pledged to love each other through the challenges and trauma to come.
They flew home with the typical baggage – and fear-of-the-unknown baggage. But they also flew home with a surprise blessing. Though her parents didn’t know it as they bid farewell to Fiji, Kyra was onboard.
Back in Los Angeles, Ryan went to his childhood home. A home that no longer existed. The only thing standing was the garage. And the chimney. He went about salvaging what he could – his mother’s medical books, his sister’s catering supplies, a few family photos.
Ryan Lovell, right, poses for a portrait with his wife Jasmine and daughter Kyra at their new home in Upland, California.
After decades of holiday family gatherings in Altadena, the Lovell family has settled into a new reality. Ryan and Jasmine have a newborn. Kyra is her name. She was born Sept. 16, 2025.
“She's our blessing through this whole tragedy because we found out my wife Jasmine was pregnant with Kyra about two days after we found out that our house was lost due to the Eaton fire,” Ryan Lovell said.
They didn’t know what to do. Where to go. They had a plan. But it went up in flames. FEMA offered little help in the short term. So they lived with family members until they got their fiances – and mental stamina – together.
The Lovells eventually purchased a house in Upland, recognizing they couldn’t bring a new child into the world without appropriate housing. They had to do what was right for the next generation. Just as Gloria did.
A sign on the property of the family home of Ryan Lovell in Altadena, California, on June 5, 2025.
“We moved here at the end of June of 2025,” Lovell said. “We had to kind of hit the ground running, searching for a place to live, obviously due to the circumstances surrounding the Eaton Fire. So we spent the first half of 2025 just looking for a place to call our own. We wanted something to buy, something to kind of establish firm roots since those roots were kind of taken from us a little bit earlier this year. So this was a really important search for us.”
The Altadena lot remains in the family. But there’s nothing there except a garage. And a sign that says: “ALTADENA. NOT FOR SALE.” They were underinsured – as were so many – and can’t imagine the cost of rebuilding. After all, it’s ridiculously expensive to own property in Los Angeles. Even when it’s just dirt and burned memories.
Suzette Hackney is a national columnist. Reach her on X:@suzyscribe
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fire destroyed Altadena. How one family found hope in a new life.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
