by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Aside from the fierce Santa Ana winds, January 7 was a typical Tuesday evening for Altadena residents Gracie and Gilbert Gonzalez.

Gracie, 67, was making dinner. Gilbert, her husband of 36 years and also 67, was sprucing up his Hot Wheels collection in the garage of their Ventura Street home.

About 6 p.m. their power went out. Opening a window later, they saw the orange glow of a distant fire. They hoped it would head north, away from their property. But the Santa Anas were blowing violently to the west, with some gusts exceeding 90 mph. At 1 a.m. January 8, with the flames visible about six miles to the east and advancing, they paced in their driveway. Soon they and their 30-year-old son Gilbert Gonzalez Jr. packed suitcases in case of evacuation.

“I told [my wife] let’s pack some stuff, you know, a couple pairs of jeans, underwear, socks and stuff, just essentials for three days,” said Gilbert Gonzalez Sr. “I figured we’d come back.”

They packed their go-bags into three cars. The evacuation order came at 3:30 a.m.

“I mean the sky is just bright orange,” recalled Gracie Gonzalez. “And now you can tell that fire is not going up anymore; it’s coming down the hill, down the mountain, into where now Altadena is really super populated.”

The trio parked outside a Target in Pasadena where they watched, and waited.

Unable to sleep, they hoped the blaze would spare their home. Hours later though Gilbert Gonzalez Sr. learned from a friend with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works that it was lost.

The Gonzalez family’s Altadena home lies in ruins after the Eaton Fire rampaged through their Ventura Street neighborhood on January 8. Photo/courtesy of Gracie Gonzalez

Later that day father and son returned to survey the damage. Gilbert Jr. was filming as they made their way through the neighborhood.

“I was just like, oh fu*k. Excuse me,” Gilbert Gonzalez Sr. said. “You could just see through the houses, man …”

Gracie Gonzalez mustered the strength to return home on January 9.

“It’s unreal,” she said. “I mean I’m sure you’ve seen it all on TV that homes are gone. It looks like they just dropped a bomb. And it’s just so devastating. We just can’t comprehend it.”

Nearby Franklin Elementary School, where their children had attended decades ago, was destroyed. Neighbors’ homes were gone as well.

“This is our hurricane, the way you see on TV when the hurricanes go through and just wipe out everything,” said Gilbert Gonzalez Sr.

Over the last few days, Gracie Gonzalez has been in contact with her homeowners insurance company, utilities, friends, and a family. Before they evacuated, Gilbert Gonzalez Jr. recorded video of each room of their house. Gracie Gonzalez hopes that precaution helps with the arduous task of filing and resolving her claim, and eventually, rebuilding.

On Monday she picked up undelivered mail at a local post office. “All of Altadena was there, of course, because they’re all doing the same thing,” she said.

The family moved from a hotel to an Airbnb in Pasadena on Sunday, where they plan to stay for about two weeks. They’ll then stay with a relative until final temporary living arrangements are made.

The Gonzalez family’s Altadena home burns in the Eaton Fire on January 8. Photo/courtesy of Gracie Gonzalez

Since January 7 their days have been filled with news coverage of the fires and much needed family time. They meet daily at the Pasadena home of Gilbert Gonzalez Sr.’s sister and her spouse, Christine and Joe Valenzuela.

“We have our times when we’re sitting here just bawling and then all of a sudden we just start laughing,” Gracie Gonzalez said. “You have to do that you know. That’s part of the process.”

Daughter Monica Gonzalez, who was in Florida on business when the fire broke out, cried while recounting the January 8 phone call with her mother regarding belongings she wanted her to take from the home as they prepared to evacuate. She flew home the next day.

“I almost hesitated, because it was kind of one of those things, like, what am I going to do? … The house is gone,” Monica Gonzalez said through tears. “But to be here for them was super important. It’s hard to hear them talk about it because it happened right in front of them. And like my dad said, and my mom, they’ve given us everything that we could ever ask for. I mean we just celebrated Christmas.” As she recalled asking her mother to save her collection of 150 pairs of shoes, the family shared a collective chuckle. “Being in this house alone, there’s no way you’re not laughing,” she said.

Though the family is hesitant to ask for help, friends and other family members have nonetheless stepped up.

“No one here is going to leave anyone else behind,” said Gilbert Gonzalez Jr. “We all have a support system. My family, we’re always the ones to ask people if they need anything or need help with anything and … it’s a different perspective when we’re the ones that are needing help right now.”

Two donation pages have been established for the family at gofundme.com, “Donate to Eaton Fire Disaster – Gil & Gracie Gonzalez Familia,” and “Fire Relief for Monica & Family.” At press time, donations totaled just under $30,000. The family expressed thanks for those who donated and optimism for the future.

“I know we’ll get through it but … we’re not the only ones in this situation,” said Gilbert Gonzalez Sr. “That’s one thing that I told [my wife] and the kids: we’re going to get through this, man.”