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Mountain View News Saturday, April 5, 2025

MEET NIGEL – THE PURRFECT PLAYMATE!

Nigel is a sleek, all-black, 11-
mo. old bundle of fun and affection. 
Rescued from a coyote-
infested yard, this little survivor 
has emerged with nothing but 
a love for life! Playful, curious, 
and full of energy, Nigel is always 
up for a zoomie session or 
a friendly wrestling match with 
a fellow feline, or one who will happily share his toys.

But don’t let his playful side fool you—Nigel is also a total 
lovebug. He’s happy to be held and cuddled—until he spots 
something intriguing that he just 
has to investigate! He adores people 
and will happily snuggle up 
when playtime is over. He thrives with other cats, especially 
those who enjoy his high-spirited antics. If you’re looking for a 
fun-loving, affectionate companion who will bring endless joy 
and laughter into your home, Nigel is your guy!

Curious, playful, charming, loving are all words that describe 
him. He's really quite irresistible!

Could you be the lucky one to give Nigel his forever home? Apply 
to meet him today!

Visit https://www.lifelineforpets.org/nigel.html.

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]


PROFILES OF THE FIRE

EVELYN AND CHRIS CORNWELL

Evelyn Cornwell grew up in Pasadena on the Altadena border, and attended 
St. Elizabeth Catholic grade school. She graduated from Alverno High School 
in 1973. She attended and graduated from Pasadena City College and Cypress 
Mortuary College. She met her husband Chris at JPL when she worked there in 1977. They have 
2 daughters and lived in a beautiful Spanish-style house in Altadena since 1993. “I retired 8 years 
ago from a job that I loved,” explains Cornwell. “I was a mortician, funeral director and manager 
of a mortuary in Los Angeles owned by SCI ( the largest death care provider in the world at the 
time).” In her retirement, she chose to stay close to home to assist her elderly parents who are in 
their 90’s and needing help from time to time. Overall, she and her husband were enjoying their 
life in Altadena … Until January 7.

 “On January 7, the wind was so strong that the doors in my house were whistling,” said Cornwell. 
“I called my mother who lives in Pasadena to see how they were doing. She said they were experiencing 
the same thing. This was their usual bedtime, so they were going to bed for the night.” 

The continuing high winds were disturbing enough that her husband said that he was getting some 
things together in the event we had to evacuate, so she did the same. “I didn’t think it was necessary 
to take much since I had already been through the fire in 1993. I figured I would be home in 
the morning to do whatever needed to be done,” said Cornwell.

Cornwell packed her medications, important paperwork, underwear, and a change of clothes, and 
then the power went out around 10:30 p.m. “I looked out the window from my bedroom and 
could see the mountain flaming. The smoke was starting to get thick and it was everywhere. We 
had to leave!” explains Cornwell. There was no evacuation notice given. “The wind was so strong 
that it was pushing me backwards, and my husband was pushing me forward towards the car”, she 
explained.

She drove to the street above, Mariposa and Catherine, and was able to take a photo of the fire 
from there. They then drove to her parents’ house to the south on Highland Street.

We arrived at the folks house thinking that the fire would never get that far. So we went to bed 
and tried to sleep,” explains Cornwell. Her nephews – who are first responders (one is Search 
and Rescue and the other Sheriff Reserve) showed up to do a wellness check on the grandparents. 
“They told us that it was bad out there and that we should get ready to leave Highland Street house 
because the fire might get to us.” Cornwell explains that she got up and drove to her home on 
Mendocino Street at 1:00 a.m. and she could hardly drive because of the thickness of the smoke. 
The fire was intense near her house. “ I could see the fire on the mountain and homes on the east 
side of El Molino. Fire trucks were everywhere. I thought there would not be a home to go back 
to. When I got back to my parents, my husband drove to check on our house. My husband said 
that there were people with luggage leaving the area by foot, which was alarming. So we started 
to gather the things from our home that my parents needed to have, such as wheelchair, walker, 
oxygen tanks, medication, and their dog.”

Her nephews were back at Highland Street instructing them to get out immediately. They loaded 
up their two cars, and could see the wind fanning the palm trees in front of their house, which 
was causing embers to fly, falling on the roof of the house. The nephews were fighting the fire with 
the hose on the rooftop as Cornwell, her husband and parents drove off. “We pulled away thinking 
that was the last time we would see the folks’ house. Driving across Woodbury Road, we saw 
a car engulfed in flames in the road. Smoke and flames were everywhere. My 95 year old mother 
said “I’m not going to cry because we are not the only ones who are going through this.” And she 
did not,” says Cornwell.

“It wasn’t long after that my mom learned that 3 garages and a back house had been destroyed on 
their property, but not the house. There were many houses in her Dundee Heights neighborhood 
that were destroyed,” she explained. “But at this time I knew nothing about my home. It took a 
while before we learned that my house and all the houses on my block were not burned. It seems 
that the deodor trees on Christmas tree lane may have had something to do with saving the homes 
on the street, but I don’t know that for a fact.” Cornwell eventually learned that in her Mendocino 
neighborhood many people stayed and fought the fire along with firefighters. Some used pool 
water.

Cornwell adds that “Since the fire, we have learned of so many friends who have lost their homes 
and everything that was theirs. It’s sad and heartbreaking to see the place that I have called home 
for most of my life looking like an apocalypse land. The streets that I have walked, run and driven 
through now look unfamiliar.” 

Reflecting on this disaster, she says that “We now need to be our strongest and help the community 
to survive and thrive in this difficult time. And most importantly, we need to thank the many 
people who came from all over this country to help us through this tough time.”

The Cornwells have been living in a hotel since January 7, since their home must be cleaned of 
toxic ash and soot before they can reside there again. “We have been advised by different people 
that it may be two months or more before we can get home,” shared Cornwell.

My dad was a great roofing contractor in the Pasadena area for years, the company specialized 
in tile. My dad roofed our house and many other homes in the surrounding areas. My house was 
roofed using clay tile that was tied down with copper wire. It withstood the wind and embers because 
of the application.

The wind and fire combined made it difficult for us to not feel helpless at the moment, but we had 
to be hopeful and grateful that we were still able to get out. We went to one of my nephews house 
and we got a plan together with the help of our daughter Marina, meanwhile our daughter Cosette 
had gone to our houses and collected the things that she thought would be important keepsakes. 
Our daughters and my parents grandkids were all ready to help in anyway that they could.


Pet of the Week

 
Bruce is a five-star sweetheart with a big heart and a big 
personality! This affectionate 3-year-old pit bull mix is 
looking for a quiet, loving home where he can share his 
endless cuddles. He’s well-mannered and gentle, and he 
adores car rides. Once he’s settled, he’ll happily ride along 
as your loyal co-pilot, always ready for the next adventure.

 Bruce has been spending time with a Pasadena Humane 
foster family, and they have great things to say about 
him. Beyond his sweet nature, Bruce is a total clown! He 
loves rolling onto his back, kicking his legs in the air like 
a goofball—especially when belly rubs are involved (his 
absolute favorite!). His stuffed birthday cake toy and elk 
antler are his most prized possessions, and he proudly 
carries them around wherever he goes. If you’re a fan of 
Chappell Roan, Bruce just might be your perfect match—start singing, and he’ll come 
running, ready to join in the fun!

 Bruce also has an adventurous side and loves hiking, trips to the park, and just being 
outside with his favorite people. However, at the end of the day, he thrives in a calm and 
peaceful environment where he can relax and soak up all the love he craves. If you’re 
looking for a sweet, playful, and utterly hilarious companion, Bruce is your guy—ready to 
bring laughter, love, and a little bit of goofiness into your life!

 The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, 
and age-appropriate vaccines. Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 10:00 – 5:00. 
View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org.

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal 
Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet. 

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone 
CALLS OR EMAIL.


The Sandovals -- parents of Evelyn sitting on their deck on Highland Ave assessing the fire's destruction...


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