Family returns to devastation for the first time after Eaton Fire destroyed their home​on January 20, 2025 at 2:12 pm

ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) — As some evacuation orders were lifted or downgraded for the Eaton Fire, families began returning to the place they called home.

Unfortunately, like many others, Aurielle Hall did not have a house to return to. Instead, she found her Altadena home, which her family owned since the ’70s, reduced to rubble due the devastating Eaton Fire.

ABC7’s Marc Brown was on location in Altadena for our “SoCal Strong” special when he met Hall, who had just returned and saw the devastation for the first time.

“It’s very unbelievable. We thought we were coming back home. When we left, we didn’t pack anything,” said Hall. “All memorabilia of my mom, everything from 1970 to 2025 was here for many family members.”

Hall said her grandmother bought three houses there in 1970 where many family members lived, calling it the “family compound”. She and her family are now homeless, but she is getting help from a local organization.

When asked if she was going to go back to Altadena and rebuild, Hall said: “I pray we are given the resources to try to do that because this is more important than TikTok. We need to recover Altadena.”

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe has been set up to help with recovery efforts.