Satellite image of my home in Altadena, CA, after the fire

The TL;DR

My name is Kristen. I am a game developer, LA transplant, and recent victim of the Eaton wildfire that has raged across Altadena, CA, destroying thousands of homes and businesses.

Your donations will allow me to navigate this unprecedented time and get back on my feet.

I appreciate everything you can, whether it is $1, $20, $100, or just a share on your social media. It means the world to me in this deeply uncertain and painful time.

The Full Story

On Monday afternoon, LA was informed that we were going to be hit with "strong winds" and there was a high chance of wildfires. I told my job I may be without power over the next few days but would be online by Thursday or Friday at the latest. This didn't feel like a big deal. After all, Santa Ana winds had always been a moderate inconvenience for my sinuses, but nothing more.

We began experiencing power outages and extremely strong winds around 4:30 AM Tuesday. Imagine the wind without the rain if you've ever lived through a hurricane.

Flying debris hit the house and windows all night, making sleeping difficult. By 6:40 PM Tuesday, I noticed the night sky outside our front window was glowing orange. By 9:00 PM, the ominous glow had exploded into a full-on wildfire outside the kitchen window. Initially, this was uncomfortable but not immediately concerning. After all, it was miles away, and I've lived in LA for years and seen massive fires burning on mountains in the distance. Naive in retrospect.

By now, the winds were gusting at 60-100MPH, carrying embers for miles. Fortunately, our air was still clear and the winds were gusting southeast, opposite my home. How quickly things changed. At 3AM, I began smelling smoke in my bedroom and decided to pack a bag "just in case."

I had barely gotten my suitcase out of the closet when my phone lit up with an evacuation notice. We were told to leave immediately. In fact, no "Set" notice had ever been sent for my area ("Set" notices are pre-evacuation orders that urge you to pack a bag and be prepared to leave if needed).

In the dark, I hurriedly packed a handful of precious belongings, a change of clothes, and my cat. When I opened the front door, the air was black, and it was difficult to see in front of me. It was like a hurricane of black ash and smoke. I started to cry, knowing this was the last time I'd see my beautiful home. I had just finished decorating my living room that week... everything had begun to feel like "home" again.

By 5AM, I got the notice that the house had burnt to the ground. There is nothing to describe the amount of pain that I have felt this week. Immediate reaction? Numbness, panic. I've lived through a lot of traumatic events in my life, but nothing has prepared me for this. It's an emptiness unlike any other I've felt. Just a hollowing out of the safety I took for granted every day.

My future is uncertain... everything I've ever owned is ash. So, after much urging, I've put together this GoFundMe. I've never done this before, and hopefully never will need to again. Still, I am in a unique position of having moved twice in two years: once across the country, back to LA, to leave a difficult relationship and then again in late November to come to Altadena.

So I'm asking for your help.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope we can rebuild Altadena together, stronger than ever.