Symbols of resilience and hope

Barely into the new year of 2025, a firestorm swept through the city of Altadena, claiming 19 lives and destroying more than 9000 buildings. Dubbed The Eaton Fire, it began in Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains outside of Los Angeles.

Since then, the rebuilding of homes and the community as a whole has been slow, as has the healing of residents from the devastating losses and emotional traumas suffered.

However, three local artists have teamed up to create a community memorial honoring the Altadenians’ strength and perseverance.

A month after the fires, Kate Sullivan and Frank Schlagel, who both lost their homes, and Nancy Larrew began collecting “widowed” keys, those belonging to the thousands of homes and businesses that no longer stood, including the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The artists have designed a memorial in which the keys will be displayed, with 19 of them illuminated in remembrance of the lives lost.

You can learn more about the inspiration behind the artists’ vision and their work to secure funding and a memorial location in this segment from CBS News:
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/video/local-artists-moving-forward-wi...