How L.A. Wildfire Survivors Reimagined the Holidays: Community, Creativity and Slow Rebuilding

LOS ANGELES — The Jan. 7 wildfires that swept through parts of Los Angeles County left deep scars on neighborhoods and traditions. Roughly 16,000 structures were destroyed, at least 31 people died and more than 57,000 acres were scorched in hard-hit communities including Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Sunset Mesa. Survivors are responding to the loss by rethinking holiday rituals, leaning on neighbors and finding creative ways to keep community ties alive.

Rethinking traditions

Jon Cherkas, who lost his Sunset Mesa home that once overlooked the Pacific Ocean, said the social fabric of his neighborhood is the hardest to replace. “We had such great community and fun with neighbors,” he said. “That’s the one thing that’s really missing now.” Instead of hosting his longtime Thanksgiving gathering, Cherkas and his wife will dine with friends in Scottsdale, Arizona, and spend the holiday with neighbors who relocated before the fire.

Tom Reed, who lost his home in the Palisades, described how his family adapted other holidays. For Easter, the grandchildren hunted for grandparents wearing Velcro-attached eggs in the courtyard of the family’s rental. For Thanksgiving, Reed decided to extend the celebration over a weekend at Lake Arrowhead to avoid cramming everyone into a small condo. “Things have changed, but I gotta find amusement,” he said.

Slow rebuilding and red tape

Many survivors hope to rebuild, but the process is slow. Fewer than 2,000 permits have been issued in the burn zones out of roughly 5,000 applications received, according to the state dashboard. About 3,100 permits are under review and thousands more applications have yet to be submitted, leaving families in limbo as they wait to restore homes and neighborhoods.

Community resilience in Altadena

Altadena — a foothill enclave with multigenerational families and small businesses — has felt the loss keenly. Freddy Sayegh and his extended family lost seven properties in the Eaton Fire and have moved between rentals while waiting to return. Before the fire, Thanksgiving at the Sayegh home could mean a 48-hour marathon with as many as 60 people. This year, celebrations are smaller and scattered: some relatives are traveling, others dining out.

Despite the devastation, Altadena’s communal life endures. Neighbors organize block parties on otherwise empty streets, weekly game nights and other small gatherings. Sayegh is staging a 1980s-themed block party called Back to Altadena to lift spirits near the hardest-hit area. “I want to give them a party and a reason to smile,” he said. “It’s really magical when you’re around other survivors in the same situation.”

Finding purpose and gratitude

Keni “Arts” Davis, an artist who lost his home of 45 years, said his family is focusing this Thanksgiving on gratitude. One of Davis’s daughters secured a grant to plant gardens at dozens of destroyed Altadena sites; each garden will include a bench for neighbors to gather or reflect. Davis has spent much of the year painting scenes of the rebuild and plans to move into his daughter’s guest house while his own home is rebuilt. “I just can’t get over how thankful I am that my family is safe,” he said.

“You can’t look back because it will mess with your head,” Tom Reed said, capturing the mix of sorrow and resolve many survivors feel as they try to rebuild lives and community.

Across Los Angeles County, holiday plans have shifted — some to new towns, some to rentals and some into smaller, more intentional gatherings. While rebuilding is laborious and bureaucratically slow, neighbors say resilience and shared purpose are helping to restore the social fabric that once defined their communities.