'Our life erased by flames': Los Angeles family mourns loss of home in Altadena Wildfire

Record ID: 1898824

  • Title: 'Our life erased by flames': Los Angeles family mourns loss of home in Altadena Wildfire
  • Date: 14th January 2025
  • Summary: 'Our life erased by flames': Los Angeles family mourns loss of home in Altadena Wildfire SHOTLIST: ALTADENA, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, US (JAN. 14, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF WOMEN INSPECTING THEIR BURNED HOME IN ALTADENA 2. SOUNDBITE (English) ONE OF VICTIMS WHO LOST THEIR HOME IN WILDFIRES, ERIKA MCMAHON SAYING: “This is monumental compared to what we've had before, and this is a mountainous area, and we always know there's fire danger, and we have had to evacuate maybe three or four times during the 36 years that I've been here, but it wasn't anything like this, and this fire started maybe five miles east of us, so we had no idea that it would come across this fast and take this path, and if you go around, you can see how intermittent the damage is. I mean, there are homes on streets like ours that're completely gone, and then there are some houses that have been saved, so it just doesn't make any sense, but the wind was so strong, I guess. We are very fortunate. We have insurance. Unfortunately, I don't know if you know, but in the past few months and stuff, some of the homeowners have had their insurance canceled just because the insurance company didn't want to cover them anymore, so there are some people who will be without insurance.” 3. DAUGHTER OF ERIKA, SHAUNA MCMAHON TAKING PICTURE OF DAMAGE 4. VARIOUS OF ERIKA AND SHAUNA INSPECTING DAMAGE OF THEIR HOME 5. SOUNDBITE (English) ERIKA MCMAHON'S DAUGHTER SHAUNA MCMAHON SAYING: “It's awful. It's devastating. I mean, it doesn't even seem real. It feels like I'm in a bad dream I can't wake up from. Yeah, it's terrible. I mean, it just feels like our whole life has been erased by burning flames. They didn't even have a chance to grab much because we've had to evacuate several times, so you kind of get to the point where you don't think it's going to happen to you.” 6. ERIKA AND BRIAN MCMAHON INSPECTING RUBBLE OF THEIR HOME 7. SOUNDBITE (English) BRIAN MCMAHON SAYING: “I woke up in the morning, probably just before eight, and I go, man, why is it so dark? And I looked out, and it was the smoke from this fire, not the Palisades fire, which was literally to the north of us, that had come across down and into the west side of Los Angeles. And I looked up and said, this really isn't good. And we immediately turned the news on. I said, oh my God, I think it went through my mom's neighborhood. And I just get that sinking feeling that my mom's house is gone.” 8. DAMAGED HOME/ US FLAG SCRIPT A family in Los Angeles' Altadena neighborhood is grappling with the loss of their home following a devastating wildfire that struck on Monday, Jan. 13. Erika McMahon, who lived in the mountainous area for 36 years, described the destruction as unprecedented. "This is a mountainous area, and we always know there's fire danger. We've had to evacuate maybe three or four times during the 36 years that I've been here, but it wasn't anything like this," McMahon told Anadolu. The fire ignited about five miles east of their home and spread rapidly due to strong winds, leaving residents little time to react. "We had no idea that it would come across this fast and take this path," she said. The neighborhood now shows a grim contrast, with some homes completely destroyed and others spared. "There are homes on streets like ours that are completely gone, and then some have been saved. It just doesn't make any sense," McMahon added. Shauna McMahon, Erika's daughter, reflected on the emotional toll of the disaster. "It's awful. It's devastating. It feels like I'm in a bad dream I can't wake up from. It just feels like our whole life has been erased by burning flames," she said. Brian McMahon, Erika’s son, recounted the harrowing moment he realized the fire had reached their neighborhood. "I woke up in the morning, probably just before eight, and it was the smoke from this fire. I immediately turned the news on and said, 'Oh my God, I think it went through my mom's neighborhood.'" While the family has insurance to aid in their recovery, they voiced concerns about others who may not be as fortunate. Erika highlighted a troubling trend: "Some homeowners have had their insurances canceled just because the insurance company didn't want to cover them anymore." At least 24 people have died since multiple fires began last Tuesday and more than 12,000 structures including homes, businesses and houses of worship have been reduced to ashes. More than 40,000 acres have been scorched by the Eaton, Palisades, Kenneth and Hurst fires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
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  • Copyright Holder: Anadolu Agency
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