Los Angeles County wildfires reduce diverse and historic Altadena to ash and rubble

Muhammad Akhtar, the owner of a new halal grocery store and butcher shop nearby, said he used to pray every Friday at the Al Taqwa mosque, whose presence reflected the diversity of Altadena’s residents sex and inclusivity.

Akhtar said the support and compassion people have for each other is what’s most special about Altadena. He said the day after the fires swept through town, many local customers called to inquire about his business, EZ Halal Meat and Market, which is outside the fire zone.

“Prayers for everyone,” Akhtar said. “All we can do is rebuild.”

Loss of art, nature and community

Altadena's residents are proud of its quirky arts scene and cultural landmarks, as well as its diverse and welcoming nature. An art junkyard built in 1946, Zorthian Ranch served as a commune and gathering place for artists and musicians, including such luminaries as Andy Warhol and Bob Dylan. Much of the ranch and the artwork within were destroyed.

Nearly a dozen cultural institutions were destroyed in the fire, including the Rabbit Museum, which housed more than 46,000 rabbit-themed items, from stuffed animals to antiques and cookie jars. The museum opened in 1998 and holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of rabbits.

“A lot of people care about the land. A lot of people have animals in their backyards,” said Christina Conte, who has spent the past five years creating urban homes in Altadena. She recalled seeing pigs and alpacas.

In the vast oasis in her backyard, she grows native plants, grows produce and raises a flock of chickens. She held workshops on how to make herbs and brew kombucha; she homeschooled neighborhood children. She feels a warm connection with other Atadnans.

Now, all that remains of the only home Conte owns is a charred chimney. She managed to drive away with her three young children and her dog just before the fire spread to her neighborhood.

“This is my safe space,” she said. “I’ve saved up my whole life for this and now we literally have nothing.”

Jane Parrott, a psychotherapist who has lived in Altadena for five years, describes the mountain town as a “country city,” filled with canyons, swimming holes and quaint local businesses.

“Once you go there,” she said, “you want to stay.”

Parrott said it was difficult to process all the losses, including an art studio she built in her garage. “It's hard to imagine that my life was completely wiped out,” she said.

Visual artist Courtney Lotfipour-Tindall starts renting a neighborhood home with her fellow musicians “It was our dream to live here,” said October's partner. “You're close to the city, but you can also go hiking in the mountains.”

Within two months of settling in, Lotfipour-Tindall and her partner knew 75 per cent of the residents on the street, she said. They feel at home in the creative community. A friendly stranger once told Lotfipple-Tindall that Altadena was “a town going to nowhere,” and she found the metaphor apt.

“I lost every piece of art I made,” Lotfeppe-Tindall said. “We are not rich people, but what we have lost is a memento of our lives.”

Salomón Huerta, 59, also an artist, was in his studio when his wife noticed a fire in his neighborhood and was forced to evacuate. He later discovered via video that his house was missing. He said he had lost his old files. “The art I collected from other artists is irreplaceable,” he said. Huerta, who is from Tijuana, Mexico and has lived in the United States since he was a child, had been raising money to hold a wedding in Oaxaca after marrying his wife last year.

Altadena residents worry about cost of starting over

Joelle Fortune-Simmons' family lives in the house her husband's family has owned for 47 years. The home was so important to her mother-in-law that Fortune-Simmons had to plead with her to leave it as the fire came closer.

“She kept saying, 'I'm going to save my house,'” Fortune-Simmons said. The family tried to put out the flames with a garden hose, but they had to flee. Soon, their home disappeared. However, she is determined to rebuild in Altadena when the time comes.

But some displaced residents may not get a chance to start over. As fires have destroyed much of Los Angeles County’s housing supply, rental prices in the city have soared — a common trend after natural disasters.