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Mountain View News Saturday, January 18, 2025

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

[Nyerges is the author of several books including “Self-Sufficient Home” 
and “How to Survive Anywhere.” He also leads wilderness classes every 
weekend. He can be reached at School of Self-Reliance, Box 41834, Eagle 
Rock, CA 90041, or www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]

LIFELINE FOR PETS 

NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Our rescue is struggling. Three of our volunteers lost 
their homes, and several of us had to evacuate.

The ones that stayed did their best, and all the cats are 
okay, but we had to deal with staff shortages.

There is a a post on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/lifelineforpets.pasadena, 
asking if people feel like they want to help.

We have a Chewy Wish List on chewy.com or you can send a Petsmart gift card at 
petsmart.com, or just donate by using the Donate button on our website, at www.
lifelineforpets.org. 

We can use paper towels, and are okay for now with water, at least for a couple of 
weeks. 

We also are in need of adopters, or at least long-term fosters, which would help 
with the staff shortages and possibly enable us to take in more cats. 

People can find applications for adopting and fostering on our website, or they 
may email us at info@lifelineforpets.org for suggestions.

We don’t know the long-term effects of the smoke and toxic ash on the cats or 
humans. Such loss. Such devastation.

Darlene Papas


THE BEGINNING OF THE END

A personal account of the Great Fire of 2025

On January 7, 2025, a Tuesday, I was in Highland Park to operate the weekly 
farmer’s market, as I have done for years. It was windy, but tolerable, and I 
hoped that the winds would die down so the canopies that the farmers used would not be blown 
away. Apparently, winds were heavy in other areas, and about a third of our vendors did not 
arrive.

The modified market proceeded, and the wind seemed to gradually increase. Yes, there had 
been predictions of high winds in the news, and I assumed, as I usually do, that those highest 
winds would be high in the mountains and deep in the canyons, such as the Interstate 5 corridor. 

By 4 p.m., steady winds made the market challenging to operate. By 6 p.m., my wife called 
me, telling me to try to get home as quickly as possible. “The winds are horrendous,” she told 
me, and she could see smoke and the red glare of fire to our home’s east and north. Our home 
is right on the Altadena-Pasadena border, just a few short blocks from Eaton Canyon, where 
apparently the high winds knocked down a power line and started a fire.

“The fire doesn’t look good,” she added, “and we have no power. Try to get home quickly. You 
might not be able to get back because they are telling people to evacuate.” I could tell that this 
was serious, more serious than I had imagined. Meanwhile, I had to stay at least another hour 
to close down the market, as winds increased and closing up the farmers’ canopies became very 
difficult.

I finally drove back amidst increasing winds, with branches and tree limbs blocking some 
roads. I drove up Lake Avenue and realized we were in a serious emergency status. As I freely 
drove north into Altadena, there was a line of car headlights heading south, as the exodus was 
continuing. Some street lights were out, and people were driving more recklessly. I could feel a 
sense of panic developing.

I managed to get into my neighborhood without any barricades, a darkened neighborhood 
where most neighbors were clearly already gone. This was about 8 p.m. High winds buffeted 
everything, and I as parked, I could see the orange sky to our east and north, as black smoke billowed 
into the sky. I didn’t know that then, but I was seeing the burning of the Jewish synagogue 
on Altadena Drive and the Palm Villa rest home occupied by senior citizens. It had already been 
evacuated by the time I got home.

My wife and I quickly put a few key items into our cars, such as clothes, toiletries, some photos, 
and computer. While my wife continued to collect a few necessities, I watered the outside. 
Sparks flew down from time to time in the high winds, which made me realize that we might 
never return to our small and humble home. But it wasn’t the time to think about things – we 
were operating on automatic pilot. 

We finally drove off, not sure where we were going, but we headed down to Colorado Blvd. 
in Pasadena, home of the annual Rose Parade, to the hotel row area. The first hotel we saw had 
a long line of cars trying to get in, and a crowd in the lobby so we drove on. My wife found a 
smaller place down the road which had one room left, which we booked for the night.

We spent a fitful night, and I did my best to relax and sleep, though it was hard. We talked 
through what steps we’d take if everything we had got burned to the ground. 

During the days that followed, we did hear from many of our friends who lost everything. My 
childhood friend Joe Sierra told me how he looked out and saw his neighbor’s house burning 
across the street from his Marengo home. He knew there were high winds, but had no idea the 
firestorm would get right next to his home. He grabbed his cat and jumped in his truck and 
took off as the neighborhood burned down. “I wish I had grabbed at least a spare pair of pants,” 
Joe told me. 

In the morning, we were able to return to our home, still standing. We were on the fringe, and 
the still-raging fires were already well to the east and northwest of our neighborhood.

MORE TO COME

WAYS TO HELP OUR 
ANIMAL FRIENDS:

 -- Los Angeles and Pasadena/Altadena have 
phone numbers for those needing help with animals 
left behind in fire zones. The city of L.A.'s 
number is 213-270-8155, and for Pasadena and 
Altadena, it's 626-577-3752.

 -- For those who have lost or found a pet, the 
city and county are partnering with Petco Love 
Lost, a free national lost-and-found pet database 
at https://petcolove.org/lost/.

 -- Earlier this week, the Department of Animal 
Services and the L.A. County Department 
of Animal Care and Control issued a joint call 
for residents to help animals in need and relieve 
critical overcrowding at shelters by adopting 
or fostering those without homes. More information 
is available at LAanimalServices.com/
about-fostering, and animalcare.lacounty.gov/
become-a-foster-caretaker.

 -- Pasadena Humane Society is shouldering a 
major share of the burden, housing many animals 
forced from their homes in the Eaton Fire. 
People can donate on their website at pasadenahumane.
org/about/get-in-touch/contact-
us/?campaign=431108. Additionally, PHS has 
a ``strike team'' that will check on missing 
pets. Those who have lost an animal can call 
626-577-3752.

 -- Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, in partnership 
with Friends in Deed Food Pantry, is holding 
a drive to collect pet food for victims of the 
Eaton Fire through Sunday at 695 E. Colorado 
Blvd. Contact: 626-449-5320 or 626-797-2402.

 -- The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 
Animals has opened a Pet Adoption Center in 
west Los Angeles to house the pets of fire evacuees 
at 5026 W. Jefferson Blvd. Those displaced by 
the fires can call 323-730-5300 for more information 
on temporary pet housing.

 -- Bunny World Foundation, an all-volunteer 
rescue that finds homes for hundreds of unwanted 
rabbits from the L.A. shelters and other 
places, is in need of fosters and adopters to relieve 
the large number of rabbits evacuated from 
homes. To foster or adopt, contact info@bunnyworldfoundation.
org. To donate, visit bunnyworldfoundation.
org/donate/.

 -- Zooh Corner Cat and Rabbit Rescue has 
helped animals with special needs and disabilities 
for decades. They operated out of 
their own home, which is now gone in the 
fire. The public can help at gofundme.com/f/
help-cat-kevin-rebuild-after-fire-loss.

 -- Best Friends Animal Society has two locations 
providing dog and cat food to the community 
and is accepting donations at

bestfriends.org/emergency-response/
los-angeles-wildfires.

 -- A site promoting lost or found pets due to 
the Palisades Fire can be found at instagram.
com/palisadesfirefoundlostpets/, where people 
can post a direct message if they've found or lost 
a pet.

 -- Cleo's Critter Care in Pasadena has a wildfire 
evacuation fund, and can be reached at 
cleoscrittercare.com. People can also Venmo 
them with the message ``LA Fire Relief'' @
cleos-critter-care.

 -- The California Wildlife Center's clinic 
and facility are temporarily closed due to the 
Palisades Fire, but donations can be made at 
https://30583.thankyou4caring.org/donate.

 -- Donate to the World Animal Fund at worldanimalprotection.
us.

 -- Viva Rescue in Menifee has been helping 
rescue horses and other animals impacted by 
the fires, and can be reached at vivaglobalrescue.
org/?.

 -- The Humane Society of the United States 
has an ongoing Emergency Animal Relief Fund 
to ensure animals get the help they need during 
situations like this. Find out more at secured.humanesociety.
org/page/82188/donate/.

 -- PETA's Los Angeles office has pitched in 
during the wildfires,donating supplies to firefighters. 
The organization has a list of local vegan

businesses that have also helped out on its website, 
where donations are also accepted, at peta.org/
blog/vegan-love-unites-amid-los-angeles-fires/.

 -- An easy way to help for those who can't afford 
donations is to eave one or more fresh water 
bowls outside your home for displaced pets and

wildlife who haven't been able to return to their 
home areas.

626.355.1451c21village.com 
@c21village38 W Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra MadreSales - Leasing - ManagementServing the Community since 1980
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com