Ready and Determined:
The Los Angeles Wildfires Disaster Relief Mission
Written By Ida Eva Zielinska
Published #76 | Spring 2025 Issue
The Palisades Fire leveled much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and parts of Malibu in Los Angeles. The majestic views of the Pacific Ocean remain, yet the houses are gone – some reduced to little more than a charred chimney, ironically standing as the sole remnant of what was once a home, with the life inside now existing only in memory. Photo/Jaime Puerta
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“We lost everything. Totally. It’s something I never even imagined would happen to us,” Joseph Correia, a retired Los Angeles County firefighter, shared in disbelief. “I thought I could stay and protect my house. But the houses all around me started catching on fire…”
Correia was still in shock as he recounted the events of January 7, 2025.
The New Year had just arrived a week earlier, bringing with it the hopes and resolutions of people worldwide, including in Los Angeles. Yet here, disaster struck when two raging wildfires ignited in and around the city, halting plans and dreams while swiftly drawing entire neighborhoods in this California paradise into an absolute nightmare.
