One week ago today, on January 7, the Palisades Fire broke out in the coastal hills north of Santa Monica, and the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena and Altadena. Tens of thousands of Angelenos, many without power, were faced with the impossible task of gathering loved ones and pets and evacuating their homes as the flames visibly approached. We watched in horror and disbelief as wind gusts up to 100 miles per hour created an environment where the fires were impossible to contain, and they engulfed our neighborhoods.
Since that day, multiple fires across the Los Angeles region have burned approximately 40,000 acres, destroyed more than 12,000 structures, and taken more than 24 lives. The fires continue to burn, and every day brings heartbreaking news of more losses, and more devastation.
No one in our city is untouched by this disaster. If we haven’t lost our own home, someone dear to us has, and we struggle with how to support them in the face of unthinkable tragedy. We find comfort in the notes, calls, messages, and gestures of support from people across the globe, worried about loved ones in the area and sad to see a city they know and love in such pain.
Collectively, we mourn the loss of countless heritage sites, many of them icons of the modern movement, that tell the stories of our great city: stories of its people, its optimism, its creativity, and its ingenuity. The very things that drew modern architects to these parts of the city during the postwar period – hilly terrain, breathtaking views, the beauty of the natural environment, and temperate climate – are also what made them vulnerable. As a result, these fires have claimed the largest concentration of modern heritage sites of any disaster in Los Angeles’ history.
Even with heavy hearts, we at Docomomo US join hands with our partners as we put one foot in front of the other and forge a path forward. We are in awe of the first responders who continue to work night and day to protect our neighborhoods and heritage sites as best they can. We are grateful for the work of our partners at the Los Angeles Conservancy, who are carefully and accurately tracking losses and providing resources to homeowners in need. We are committed to helping with these efforts and those of all our partners in the region, with boots on the ground in Los Angeles and from afar.
Los Angeles is a majestic, complicated, and resilient city, known for its ability to rebuild and reinvent. At Docomomo US we stand together with our Los Angeles family and offer our whole-hearted love and support, now and always.
From Los Angeles,
