(LOS ANGELES) — The Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed thousands of structures since Jan. 7. In Altadena, north of Pasadena, the Eaton Fire has damaged or destroyed 7,000 structures.
One of the structures destroyed by the fire was the home Erion and Stephan Taylor lived in with their three children. They say they only had 20 minutes to evacuate on Jan. 7.
“My heart dropped, I saw the flames, and I said ‘Honey, come here for a second’ and he looked out the door and his whole demeanor changed,” Erion Taylor told ABC News.
The Taylors quickly packed their most precious items — wedding photos, loved ones’ ashes, stuffed animals and soccer cleats — into the car. They made their escape to Stephan’s mother’s home — Peggy Taylor lives a 7-minute drive down the hill.
However, the flames quickly threatened her home as well and the family fled. Since then, they have been living in a hotel room.
“The kids need a yard. They need a familiar space,” Erion said. “They need a kitchen table or a room to go to and shut the door if they want to be by themselves for a little bit.”
Erion said they’re hurt over what they lost, but her focus remains on what they still have — each other.
“I don’t care about things at all. Everything can be replaced,” she said. “There’s things I wish I had. I genuinely have everything I need right here. I have everything I need right here.”
When the Taylors were able to return to their Altadena neighborhood, they found their house in ruins. It’s a situation many across the area are facing, leaving families with an uncertain future.
Black families began moving to the area in the ’30s, during the Great Migration, and Altadena became a multicultural haven in the ’60s. This was a result of Black people being able to get mortgages and Altadena being free of “redlining” — a practice that saw federally insured mortgages, loans and private residential insurance being withheld from non-white homeowners.
Peggy Taylor, known as Ms. Peggy, moved to the area when she was 17. The home she bought in the ’60s has housed both her boys and their families at some point or another, making it a haven for their family. Miraculously, that house was spared by the fire.
“To see it standing and there’s no additional wind damage, doesn’t look like it’s been burglarized, makes me feel a lot better,” Ms. Peggy told ABC News.
Officials have been opening up areas of the evacuation zone, allowing people whose homes are still standing to return. One of those areas includes Ms. Peggy’s home, so the family may be able to relocate there soon.
People are already banding together to help rebuild what’s been lost in Altadena — an effort that’s giving the Taylors hope.
“We create, not destroy, and we are going to create our neighborhoods,” Erion said. “And we’re standing in front of a sign that says ‘Altadena is not for sale,’ because every single person here wants to make sure that the people are taken care of.”
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