There are signs everywhere, telling the story of Altardner in recent weeks.
The handwritten sign thanks to the first responders, other responders on the lawn that the contractor needs to rebuild, and at least one in front of the house says “Altadena is not for sale”.
With the deadly Eaton fire, the focus gradually shifted to reconstruction and recovery. But first, residents need to move forward in the biggest storm of the season so far. It is expected to hit Altadena and other burn areas in Los Angeles County.
For locals, everything will feel too much.
Zaira de la Cruz, 26, and her daughter Omi de la Cruz, 2, were at a rally in support of Saturday’s in Altad Victims of the Eaton fire held at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Altadena.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
“My mind is gone,” said Jude Bell, who did some work on his home SUV on Thursday morning. “I’m a 59-year-old wreck.”
Bell said she was waiting for a contractor to meet with her home, which was damaged in the wind last month, which also caused a fatal fire.
While she was working and waiting, the contractor of the group truck moved between job-seeking locations, while the sheriff’s deputies patrolled the neighborhood, ready to help people escape from the rain if it caused another disaster.
Officials want residents to be on high alert, but tired but in trouble.
“Who knows? Fire is not in front of the mind either,” Bell was exhausted.
She thanked her home for surviving the fire, and said she planned to be a focus person for neighbors who lost her home and needed an update on community recovery.
“They are all scattered elsewhere, but they need to check their homes nearby,” she said.
Among several houses on Alameda Street, the buzz of power tools comes from Maria Messieh’s home. She was also busy with contractors on Thursday and was not worried about the rain.
She pointed to the scorched hillside toward her north and said she should wash her way if there was any debris, there was a buffer there.
“The houses there are not burning,” she said.
Survived and found her home still standing, like luck. She said the rain was a welcome change.
