Alex Yoo, holding a pickaxe and shovel, searches through the rubble for anything that might have survived. His wife Nicole couldn’t bring herself to come; her heart was too heavy.
“This area used to be the living room and the master bedroom. I’m sure I’ll find some photos or valuables around here,” Alex said.
When Alex and Nicole left their home on the night of the 7th, they had no idea it would be the last time. They only planned to stay at a hotel temporarily, worried about their daughter Saemi’s health due to the smoke caused by nearby fires.
The next day, the Yoo couple was left speechless when neighbors sent them photos and videos. The cozy house they had poured 20 years of savings into was completely destroyed.
“It still feels unreal. We never imagined something like this could happen. The thought of losing everything our family built is heartbreaking,” Alex said.
He choked up at the thought of never seeing the photos and keepsakes passed down from his mother and grandfather. Alex lost his mother at a young age, and now, all the photos he had with her were destroyed in the fire, along with gifts she had made for him.
“It’s devastating,” he said.
Alex feels even more guilt seeing his daughter struggle. In the early days of their evacuation, Saemi would ask when they were going back home. Now, she tells her friends, “Our house burned down. Did your house burn too? We don’t have a house anymore.”
The family’s memories, including ultrasound photos of Saemi before she was born, her drawings and artwork as she grew up, were all lost. “I feel like I failed to protect our child’s precious memories," Alex said. "It hurts so much.”
The Yoo family also expressed concern for their neighbors in Altadena, a diverse community of Asian, Black, Latino, and White residents. Many had lived in the area for over 50 years.
“Many longtime homeowners here don’t have fire insurance,” the couple explained. “There are so many people with nowhere to go now. It feels selfish to even say that we’re struggling.”
*Note: Due to a request from the family, all names used in this story are fake to preserve anonymity.
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