Local Report on the LA Wildfires by a Female Writer Living in LA: “Japanese American History Lost”

A town with a large Japanese-American population also burned to the ground

More than a week after wildfires broke out simultaneously in Los Angeles, there is still no way to extinguish them. The latest wildfire destroyed Altadena, a town with strong ties to Japanese Americans. Yoko Hirota, a writer living in Los Angeles, reports on the history of the town as well as the current state of the disaster.
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I thought I would be able to go back home after a few days”…Searching for photos of his parents in the dark house as the wildfire raged

A wildfire in Eaton destroyed the home of a friend of the author and her husband. The husband, Kentaro Kamon Johnny (“Johnny”), has a Japanese American father and Japanese mother. His wife, Akiko, was born and raised in Japan.

Johnny says, “I’m quicker to tell you what I have than what I have lost. His wife, Akiko, refuses to see photos or videos of their house after the disaster because she “still wants to have the image of a clean, green house.

They evacuated from the raging wildfire Eaton on January 7 with a small amount of belongings, one large dog over 10 years old, and two cats. With the house dark inside due to a power outage, and with strong winds and fire sparks flying outside, they were able to take only a few things with them, and Johnny had only one T-shirt, underwear, and three sets of socks, in addition to his valuables.

Johnny, whose parents had died when he was in his mid-teens, packed his car with a camping headlamp and mostly photos of his parents.

In about 20 minutes, the fire on the mountain grew.

A timeline of the two men’s day shows how quickly the fire got going. According to local news media, the Eaton wildfire broke out at 6:18 p.m. Social networking sites captured several images of the fire growing taller than the power tower in about 20 minutes.

[January 7
6:18 Wildfire breaks out in Eaton Canyon.
6:42 Husband Johnny witnessed the fire on his way home
7:04 Fire photographed from in front of house
7:13 Packing up while calling a neighbor friend to warn her. Obviously the fire is getting bigger.
7:26 Evacuation order arrives on cell phone

◇9:00 p.m. My wife, Akiko, hurried home while avoiding trees that had fallen on the road, and left the house after 10 minutes of staying to pick up necessities.

At this point, strong winds were already blowing so hard that it was difficult to open and close the car door, and even when driving, the steering wheel was caught.

◇Around 10:00 p.m., he evacuated to a hotel in an area about 30 minutes away from his home.

We looked for a hotel near our home, but it was “fully booked. Due to the high competition for pet-friendly hotels, we could not make a reservation at a hotel near our home, and we finally found a hotel 30 minutes away from our home by car.

He spent the entire day watching the news until dawn. A couple of neighbors who had been in contact with Johnny and his wife stayed at their home until 3:00 a.m., just before the house was set on fire. Since he was in contact with them throughout the day and night, Johnny realized at this point that his house would be burning.
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January 9 afternoon: First time to see the house after the disaster.

The whole area is covered with ashes, gas leaking, and small fires still going up here and there. Broken gas pipes are also on fire. The ground was still warm, and the koi pond at the neighbor’s house was covered in sand, the pond water had evaporated, and the koi were dead. I brought a shovel with me, but everything had turned to ashes with no place to use it.
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There is a fire station about a two-minute drive from their home, but they were unable to extinguish the raging fire.

The history of the Japanese Americans, the memories of their parents, and their lives together were lost.

Their house, built by Johnny’s grandfather after he was released from internment after World War II, was an important part of the history of the Japanese in the United States.

During World War II, Japanese in the U.S. were evicted and placed in concentration camps. The camps were built in deserts and other areas unsuitable for living, and life was harsh. After the war, when the camps were closed, the Japanese returned to Los Angeles, but they suffered great economic loss and the hostility of their neighbors, who were enemies of the U.S., took a heavy mental toll on them. Even when building houses, the areas where Japanese could buy houses were limited, and one of those areas was Altadena.

Altadena and Pasadena, located south of Altadena, are areas where many Japanese Americans still live today. Pasadena has a sister city relationship with Mishima City in Shizuoka Prefecture, and exchange programs are held there every year. There is also a Buddhist temple, which serves as a community for many Japanese Americans.

The house they lost had been a place of relaxation for Japanese Americans since Johnny’s grandfather’s generation, serving meals to those who had no family nearby or who had lost their jobs. Inheriting this sentiment, Johnny and his wife Akiko have helped those in need, served meals to others, and provided many enjoyable times for them.

The house was also filled with the history of Japanese Americans, memories of Johnny’s family, who lost his parents when he was a teenager, and the couple’s life together as they maintained and protected the house little by little after their marriage.

Many insurance companies are pulling out of California… and many residents may not be able to return to their original land.

Mr. Johnny would like to restore Altadena to its original city-like state, but there are many uncertainties. Last year, many insurance companies pulled out of California, which is prone to wildfires, forcing him to switch insurance companies. In addition to higher premiums, the coverage has been revised. It remains to be seen to what extent this loss will be compensated.

Altadena is still off limits, and there is no timetable for rebuilding the house, but it is expected to take two to three years at the earliest. The cost is also a big burden, with more than 150 million yen needed to rebuild from the foundation up, and prices have skyrocketed. Altadena has been home to many retirees. It is expected that “many people will not be able to return” due to economic reasons.

Even though it has been only about a week since the disaster, Johnny has already begun to take action, saying, “I want to work actively with the help of various people to restore Altadena to its former state. To support his activities, the author has set up a donation website to help them rebuild their lives first. We would be grateful if you could support us with your feelings.

■”Help Johnny & Akiko Rebuild After Eaton Fire in Altadena” is here (Photo/Donationcover.PNG)

(References.)
The National Museum of Japanese American History, “Teaching Immigrants: A Guide to Japanese American Learning Activities,” published by the Association for the Study of Multicultural Society in the U.S.