People who are shocked to learn that their homes survived the Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires are sharing their survival stories.
Depending on the wind, it was pure luck in certain situations. In others, however, homeowners think that actions they made well before the fire started saved their lives. The construction of the house was the first step in some of those processes.
The remaining homes in Altadena and Pacific Palisades stand out amid the destruction. Not one of them was Kelly Kline’s Malibu mansion.
According to Kline, “no firemen even showed up at all,” “There’s no firemen, there’s no help, so these houses were just sacrificed.”
However, Kline’s neighbor’s house is still standing right next door.
“It’s like a green oasis in the middle of a warzone,” Frontline Wildfire Defense System founder Harry Statter stated.
One of the increasing number of businesses offering sophisticated sprinkler system installation services is Frontline.
Frontline has an app that can activate sprinklers and fire retardant even when you’re not home, according to a 2023 CBS News Los Angeles article.
“If the customer enables that, our software platform will detect fire relative to the location of your home, it’ll also detect wind gusts and fuel conditions and it’ll activate your system on your behalf,” Statter explained. “When embers land on those materials, whether it be patio furniture, front door mats, adjacent plant fuels, they’re in a condition that’s too wet to burn.”
Although the system is far from inexpensive—starting at roughly $500 per month—Kline has taken notice of it.
“I’m shocked that any house could survive that. “We really need to build differently,” Kline stated. “I think everybody mostly who’s going to rebuild will build with fire safety in mind definitely.”
The trauma of losing their first home in the Old Topanga Fire of 1993 served as the inspiration for Nancy and James Evans’ design for their home in the hills above Malibu. Everything was absorbed by it, even the priceless artwork that Jim had produced over his career.
The entire floor of this level is made of cement. Nancy remarked, “We have the slate, which is also in our showers and toilets. “Then we have our beautiful metal fireplace.”
Their architect used just steel to frame the stronghold. The few bits of wood inside are simply ornamental, and all the doors are constructed of metal.
Almost all of the buildings in their area were damaged or destroyed when the Palisades Fire rushed in. The Evans’ front door was completely destroyed by the fire.
“This house was not protected by anything. No drips of water were present. No one was carrying a hose. Jim remarked, “This house just kind of sat here in the middle of this, surrounded by fire.”
Their house was virtually unaltered.
According to John Souza, the architect for the Evans, “there are a few spots where the glass is cracked on a couple of windows, but overall, it held up really, really well.”
The Evans’ house and artwork have survived this time, but their hearts are heavy for so many neighbors who still have a lot of work to do.
“It’s hard to imagine any man, woman, or child in Los Angeles right now that wasn’t touched by this particular tragedy,” Jim stated. “This is like a hole in the soul of Los Angeles in a way that won’t be healed for quite a while.”
The Evans are parents of two sons. He was one of the fortunate few whose homes escaped the Eaton Fire, while the other is currently being evacuated from the Palisades Fire.