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My name is Juan Martinez. I live in Altadena. My parents, Jose Luis & Carmen (and their beautiful dog, Frida) are retired and suffering the most as they have been displaced by the devastating Eaton Fire in Altadena. Their house for over 40 years is destroyed and they face a long, expensive road as they get their lives back together. The beautiful home where all of our past memories took place is forever gone. All of our belongings which included clothes, shoes, awards, diplomas, pictures, and other irreplaceable items are all ashes.
My parents & I have come to terms with the hard reality that difficult financial times lie ahead. All of their savings were invested into the house, which now is a total loss. My parents future is full of unknowns: your help will allow my parents to address the many aspects of recovery and support for our family through this crisis.
Jose Luis & Carmen's home was destroyed:
YouTube Picture Collage:
YouTube Video Diary:
A poem I wrote titled: "Ashes Over Altadena"
Once, Altadena draped the hills in green,
Golden mornings, a soft, glowing sheen.
The oaks stood tall, their branches wide,
A whispered secret in the mountainside.
The air was thick with pine and earth,
As orange skies gave dusk their birth,
The fading light, a gentle flame,
Altadena—still, it called my name.
But now, beneath the smoldering sun,
The valley’s breath is choked and done.
Where once the trees had reached the sky,
Now only ashes, gray and dry.
The mountains’ hands that cradled me,
Now scarred and cracked, no longer free.
The streets that knew my every name
Lie empty, broken, touched by flame.
I watch the fires sweep and roar,
Through lands I loved and once adored,
The place I knew—forever gone,
A whispered memory, fading on.
But in the smoke, I still can see,
The echo of what used to be—
Altadena, though the fire’s won,
Still lives in me, still lives in one.