In Altadena, California, a family is grieving the loss of cherished memories spanning five generations due to the devastating Eaton Fire.
Janice Jackson, aged 77, originally from Pittsburgh, relocated to Altadena in 1964 during her teenage years. It is noted by her family that her mother was only the second Black woman to reside in the neighborhood.
Her lively yellow home was just as bright on the inside as it was on the outside.
“That’s the residence that my mom, the family lived in, the one that I was in, and that’s gone,” said Jackson.
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With the distant wail of sirens and the relentless crackle of flames in the background, Jackson’s nephew captured the aftermath of the Eaton Fire as it ravaged through their family residence.
“I left things at the house,” Jackson said. “My daughter said, ‘Let’s go back.’ I said, ‘We’ll get it tomorrow.’ So many of us did that. Tomorrow didn’t come.”
There were five generations of memories in the home, including many with her 68-year-old brother who has special needs, who loved to come home for the holidays.
Now, much of her family is displaced and navigating through the insurance process.
“Trying to get toiletries, you know, getting excited over a comb and brush, you know, because we had nothing,” she said.
Jackson was, however, able to to get a hotel room.
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“I’m here in this hotel,” she said. “I wake up every morning hoping that it’s a dream and I can go home, but that’s not gonna happen.”
Still, Jackson, who retired just over 10 years ago, hopes to rebuild and make a new home with new memories.
“I’m the matriarch of the family, so I want to be there for them as long as I can and maybe build another home where they can be feel safe,” she said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family rebuild after the fire.
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