Help the Potelles Return Home After the Eaton Fire

Like so many families in Altadena, we’ve been devastated by the Eaton Fire. Our house is still standing, but the destruction around us has left our home (and our entire community) covered in something far worse than just soot.

When wildfires burn trees, the resulting ash is harmful, but what’s surrounding us now is far more dangerous. This fire tore through 9,400 homes and businesses, plus hundreds of vehicles, turning an entire town into what is essentially a toxic burn pit. The ash blanketing our property and coating the interior of our home is likely filled with heavy metals, asbestos, lead, arsenic, lithium, and other hazardous contaminants released from structures, insulation, paint, batteries, and industrial components of everything that burned. Even brief exposure without proper respirators and skin protection can be dangerous.

Despite being the second most destructive wildfire in California history, this is the first wildfire where FEMA isn't testing the burn area. Without testing, homeowners like us have no way of knowing what toxins we’re dealing with or how to clean them up safely. And while California insurance policies may cover remediation, most don’t cover testing. Families are in the impossible position of having to pay thousands of dollars just to determine whether their home is safe to live in.

To make things worse, insurance companies are ending temporary housing coverage because there’s no federally recognized testing to prove hazardous conditions. Many families with nowhere to go to have already put their health at serious risk to move back home prematurely.

How You Can Help

We’re asking for support to:

This experience has been overwhelming, but we are beyond grateful for any support. Every donation, no matter the amount, helps us take the crucial first step of testing our home for toxic exposure.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. ❤️