Hi. We are the Becker and Reoch family. We are writing this ourselves because we need help now. We lost our income, our house and 9 cats. (7 were long time fosters)

On September 14, 2026, the Palos Fire raced up the hillside behind our house in about five minutes and burned our home in La Habra Heights to the ground. We were not there. Our daughters were at a friend’s house in La Habra and could see the black smoke coming off the house they grew up in, and off our neighbors’ homes too. We watched it buckle and collapse on the news.

We had spent more than three years repairing this house after the 2023 storms stripped it to the studs and subfloors. It was almost finished. A long insurance claim and a clerical error meant we were not living there when the fire came. That delay may have saved our lives. What we had already brought back—and a large amount still in temporary storage on the lot—is gone, including Becker’s parents’ urns and her dad’s military flag.

We also lost all nine of our cats, including fosters who trusted us to keep them safe. They were in a large catio. Becker called 911 and the fire department and begged someone to get them out or break the catio so they could run. No one was able to let them out. A memorial for them is here: https://granite-arch-dawn-pine.grok.me

We are not rich. The equity in that house was what we had, and the only income we had was tied to it. This is not a state or federal emergency, so we have two years for a rebuild that may take six months just to permit. Building a three-story house on a hillside to current codes is extremely difficult. Debris hauling alone—no rebuild labor—is already close to $50,000 or more.

What we need most, first

-A fast-acting, reputable engineer and architect who knows La Habra Heights codes, hillside lots, and this city’s permit process

What we also need

-Help with the debris bill and fencing to secure both burned properties

-Cash for meals, groceries, clothing, and replacement glasses

-A cushion for the insurance gap while we start over from the foundation

Any amount helps. No gift is too small. Sharing this page helps. This will be a long road, and we are asking our community to walk the first part of it with us.