Forest fires Burning through the Los Angeles area thousands of structures have been destroyed, the Eaton Fire destroying generations of homes in Altadena. A woman’s house was the only survivor on her block.
Debbie Slavin told ABC News on Monday that she avoided having her house catch fire when the first six houses on her block burned to the ground.
“When the fire burned the fence, it also burst the pressure water pipe,” said Slavin. “Honestly, I think that’s what started the fire on that fence.”
Structural damage is seen from a hillside perspective after the Eaton fire on January 10, 2025 in Altadena, California.
Jae C. Hong/AP
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Eaton, Palisades and Hurst fires have burned more than 38,000 acres. More than 12,000 structures, including homes and places of worship, have been destroyed, and officials expect more damage in the coming days.
The Eaton Fire has burned more than 14,000 acres.
When Slavin returned to the Altadena neighborhood to see the damage to Eaton, he became emotional.
“I got a call from the neighbor down the street, whose house also survived, and he basically told me there was still soot on my front lawn and he was going to go ahead and spray it,” Slavin said. . “And when I got there, it was still steaming, too, so I went ahead and put more water on it, too.”
Altadena is a community where they have made their homes for several decades. According to Slavin, community members were close-knit and organized reunions.
Slavin, still unable to return to his home, mentioned that one of his neighbors went to check on his house while he was away to make sure it was still locked. He appreciates the trust and care of his neighbors for each other, and is moved to see his friends’ houses destroyed, while his own is safe.
“I don’t know what it’s going to look like in the future,” Slavin said of his community. “And that’s what’s so painful. Some great friends have lost their homes. And you have to ask yourself why my home and why not the ones on the street.”
