One year ago, on the night of January 7, 2025, a devastating windstorm raged across the Los Angeles area, providing fuel to the most destructive wildfires in the city’s history — the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades. Breitbart News visited the site of the Eaton Fire on the eve of its anniversary, where the historic city of Altadena has been reduced to a land of empty lots with little reconstruction.
“Instead of burned houses, we just have empty lots,” Breitbart News noted upon visiting one neighborhood. “The overall story in these parts is little progress. If there’s one pattern I’m noticing up here, you would have expected this to be a bustling construction zone, but that’s just not the case up here. A lot of it is just very peaceful and quiet — very little activity happening.”
Neighborhoods that once obstructed the line of sight out to the horizon were seen to have been completely flattened, as if Altadena had been returned to its boomtown days.
“The line of sight is unreal,” Breitbart News noted in a video. “There would have just been houses obstructing your view, and there’s just nothing … You have empty lot after empty lot after empty lot. Some whole neighborhoods like this … Many, many stories like this up in Altadena. Still empty lots. Still no reconstruction. That all depends on how things have gone with people’s insurance and getting permits.”
Still, there were some signs of progress, which usually depended on the type of insurance coverage homeowners held at the time of the fire. The Halpin Family, who went viral last year in a famous video featuring them singing Catholic hymns over the devastation of their beloved home, broke ground for reconstruction last summer and have been on a steady climb back to normal ever since.
“We see a light at the end of the tunnel,” Peter Halpin told Breitbart News this past December. “Getting out on the ground allows you to start planning. It helps to distract you from the emotional aspects of what this fire put everybody through.”
“We were just so in shock. Really in shock after a trauma like that,” added Jackie Halpin. “So this is hopeful. We feel hope. Still sad about a lot of things, but it’s hopeful.”
In terms of the process, the couple said they were blessed to not have encountered as much bureaucracy and red tape as they initially feared, though they felt city officials have not quite adjusted to the “enormity of the situation.”
“They really needed to bring in some real specialists to help them make the process of getting your permits easier,” Peter said.
To other families who might find themselves in a similar situation following a natural disaster, the couple said that nobody can prepare for such a tragedy while emphasizing the importance of community support.
“Find your support,” Jackie said. “Our church and our friends have just supported us so much.”
Peter and Jackie’s son, Andrew Halpin, who grew up in the home, emphasized the importance of faith and perseverance.
“Pray, hope, and don’t worry,” Andrew told Breitbart News. “You’re in the hands of the Lord. With Him, all things are possible. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. It will never be easy, but it is possible, and you can achieve it. You have to persevere. Do not give up. We’re not going to. I hope nobody else does either.”
Another bright spot in the darkness was the survival of California’s Historic Christmas Tree Lane — a beloved staple of Altadena that somehow escaped the inferno relatively unscathed last year. This past holiday season, the street served as a beacon of hope when it was adorned in thousands of colorful Christmas lights to commemorate its 105th anniversary. Breitbart News revisited the historic site one year after breaking the story of its survival.
“I remember I was overcome with joy and many conflicting emotions to see it had survived,” this reporter said while standing in almost the exact same spot as just a year before in the midst of the aftermath. “I remember thinking that this wonderful historic street did not make it, and when I got up here to see that these trees were still standing, it was truly a remarkable moment.”
The Eaton Fire destroyed nearly 9,500 structures, displacing thousands of people, causing an estimated $10 billion in losses, while severely damaging the local economy. One year later, residents have grown increasingly anxious and frustrated as they search for answers. Speaking with the New York Times, resident Karim Jamie, 50, said that she has felt “stuck” in an almost unending situation since that fateful day, adding that her insurer, Allstate, has not paid for any of her living expenses since February after her home was rendered uninhabitable due to wind and smoke damage.
“The exact cause of the Eaton fire remains under formal investigation. But the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison, one of the state’s major utilities, accusing it of failing to properly maintain power lines, an oversight prosecutors said sparked the blaze,” noted the New York Times. “In October, the utility began offering settlements to Altadena households and businesses affected by the fire.”
“The sense that the fires could have been better mitigated or even prevented has hung over the past year,” the article added. “The idea has enraged survivors, haunted political leaders, fueled policy fights, lawsuits and social media misinformation, and seeped into this year’s races for governor and Los Angeles mayor. Local, state and federal authorities have launched at least half a dozen investigations and reviews.”
Despite the pain and the untold damage, the community of Altadena has persisted through its trial by fire, refusing to let the flame of hope blow out in their hearts.
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and can be viewed for FREE on YouTube, Tubi, or Fawesome TV. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow him on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
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