On Jan. 7, 2025, many of our lives changed forever. Three months have passed since the unprecedented Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires, yet their effects are still being felt every day. In our own community, many are either just starting to adjust to new living situations or are still on the difficult journey of recovery. As many of us have learnt over the past few months, losing a house is more than just losing a place to stay; it’s losing your community, daily routine and nearly everything you’ve known.
However, when you lose something, you are likely to gain something, and many are adjusting to either new or temporary circumstances. Jake Bryant ‘27 said, “I moved to a really nice house closer to Loyola so I’m very happy about that. Our insurance is covering us for a few months, so it’s nice to have stability, although there are many who haven’t been as lucky as we have.”
For those who had their houses only partially damaged, the exciting yet laborious process of returning has already begun. Despite their regained sense of regularity, their communities have undoubtedly been shaken. On the matter of returning, Jason Toomire ‘27 stated, “My home was one of the few that didn’t burn down in the Palisades, and so it is weird living with no familiar faces around, but I am grateful to still have safety and family to be with. What helps me most is being able to go to the ocean at Topanga because it is one of the only things that hasn’t changed.”
An anonymous student added, “There’s really no one here, most people haven’t remediated their homes from smoke damage. I was anxious at first because of all the toxins, however we are slowly adjusting back to normalcy now.”
Despite the difficulty of starting from square one, many have been able to find new direction and return to some form of normalcy in entirely new communities. Popular destinations among former residents of the Palisades include Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, where many Loyola students already reside.
Parker Tooley ‘27 said, “I feel my family has really made the best of the situation. Everyone here has been so nice and offers to help when we need it. I feel happy that it’s my new home and am encouraged by the change.”
For most, the overwhelming feeling is that of uncertainty. For the first time in many of our lives, we no longer know where we are going to live or what the future holds for us. Even for those whose lives have not been completely upended, the fires have served as a shocking wake up call to just how fast life can change.
Though no two experiences are the same in a situation like this, one thing is for certain: our lives will never be the same. Those of us who have lost our homes will never truly be able to return to what once was. Instead, we have been tasked with creating our lives entirely new from the ground up. However, these changes don’t have to be negative, and slowly but surely, life goes on.
