'We're going to end up OK': Pacific Palisades families lose homes to wildfire, but vow to rebuild
LOS ANGELES -- With burned out cars and property all across Pacific Palisades, crews are now actively working and doing what they can to bring the area back to being operational.
Among the debris, an American Flag is flying above the American Legion building.
Unfortunately, Thomas Doran's home didn't make it through the fire, nor did other homes that his family members lived in.
"Six or seven houses in Pacific Palisades burned that night," said Doran.
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"Right now, it doesn't look like any us will be able to go back for, I would say for at least a year because you look at the devastation there, and how many buildings were destroyed, and it would be almost impossible to go back and have a good quality of life," said property owner Sarah Silver.
We spoke with Silver via Zoom as we were standing near the main strip in Pacific Palisades, an area that is still only open to emergency crews.
A burned out building was behind our Zoom camera with the California National Guard across the street. The mere image of our crew standing near the building was eye-opening to Sarah.
"Really hard to see that. I feel like the worst part of the days are the mornings because you wake up and just reality sets in - you realize that it wasn't just a dream," said Silver.
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Emotions running high - yes, Sarah was renting a home that survived the fires in Palisades, but she lost her nearby home that she owned.
Cellphone video shows that home burning last week. It was a total loss.
But even with all of the rubble and destruction, there is hope among those who live here who say this is their community.
"We really are a huge family and that's what breaks my heart the most, it's not just me going through this, it's all of us going through this!" said Silver.
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And optimism among those like Sarah Silver and Thomas Doran, whose words speak for the many who live here.
"We've been here forever and we'll be back - it's a good town, so we're blessed to be here," said Doran.
"Honestly, I think the main thing that keeps coming up is that I'm just so overwhelmed, and I'm in shock still, and I'm very sad - and I'm also hopeful. Every day, I've been feeling more hopeful despite all of the chaos that is going on in our heads. I do feel like we're going to end up OK," said Silver.
Silver says that her daughter is 11 and she's now been through a global pandemic and this catastrophic fire, but she is okay and says she is proud of her for being so strong.
