Altadena neighbors rebuild after Eaton Fire devastation

One Year After Eaton Fire, Altadena Homeowners Face Rebuilding Challenges

ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) — One year after the Eaton Fire destroyed neighborhoods in Altadena, there are signs of hope, especially along Poppyfields Drive.

Eyewitness News visited four lots and spoke with homeowners, each sharing their struggles since the disaster.

On that block, four homes are slowly coming back to life.

“This past year has been equal parts wonderful and full of hope and promise and optimism, and it’s also been a nightmare,” said Jonathan Weedman, who lost his home in the fire. “It’s a nightmare that never leaves you, that’s always with you, that you’re always thinking about.”

Weedman and Raymundo Baltazar are two homeowners on Poppyfields Drive planning to move into their new homes this year.

“We want to come home,” said Baltazar. “We want to come home together. We want to come back to picking up our lives.”

However, for many neighbors on the tight-knit street, the future is uncertain.

Justin Smith and Kim Grant are eager to return to Poppyfields Drive, but like many fire victims, their insurance won’t cover rebuilding costs.

“The estimates to rebuild for the insurance company are about here, builder says he can do it about there, and insurance only covers it until about there,” explained Smith. “At this point, 12 months into everything … we’re not standing on stable ground.”

Grant said they have no idea where the money will come from.

“We’re going to try our darndest to come up with this money, the gap money, but it’s a holding pattern,” she said. “It’s exhausting.”

Mehera Halliwell and her husband Scott Hagie also lost their home on Poppyfields Drive. Months after the fire, they bought a second lot after their neighbors decided not to return.

“I think it was just … psychologically, it was just so traumatic that I think they really just did not want to deal with it,” said Halliwell.

The couple is now trying to manage the financials as rebuilding estimates continue to rise.

“It’s very overwhelming, psychologically,” said Halliwell. “Another thing that was so demoralizing was hearing about all the people who had started building and then everything was getting stolen.”

For the fire victims, the challenges to rebuild are immense, but so is the desire to return to their close-knit street.

“Let’s build this thing back,” said Smith. “Let’s make it a great house, let’s make it a great community. The neighbors are back, the trees grow back, everybody’s happy, and Altadena can resume being the wonderfully weird and magical place that it is.”