LOS ANGELES – Rick Citron and his wife left their Pacific Palisades home just days before a wildfire destroyed it, never realizing it would be the last time they saw the house they had owned for over 40 years. The blaze that engulfed their home unfolded before Rick’s eyes via remote Tesla car camera footage, causing him to lose a lifetime of cherished memories and history that he and his family had built.
The Palisades Fire that razed his neighborhood was one of two major fires in Los Angeles County that claimed the lives of at least 27 people and destroyed thousands of structures. Pacific Palisades, a community known as a blend of old-time charm and high-end development, was hit hard by the fire, along with neighboring Sunset Mesa.
The Pacific Palisades and Sunset Mesa neighborhoods were once more affordable areas that have now been transformed into exclusive enclaves as Los Angeles urbanized. Many long-time residents watched as their homes were destroyed by the fire, losing not just their physical houses but also a lifetime of memories and connections that had been woven into the fabric of the community over the years.
Despite the devastation, residents like Jon Cherkas and Anne Salenger, who were part of the Sunset Mesa “doggy corner” community, plan to rebuild and stay in the area they have called home for decades. For them, the community they have built through shared experiences and connections is irreplaceable and worth rebuilding for future generations to come.
The tragic destruction caused by the wildfires in these historic Los Angeles neighborhoods underscores not only the physical loss of homes but also the intangible loss of community and history that many residents are grappling with as they begin the process of rebuilding.
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