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LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Cynthia and Ibarionex Perello, a couple married for over 30 years, are grappling with the aftermath of the Eaton fire that destroyed their home and all their belongings in Altadena. The couple escaped with only the clothes on their backs, their dog, and a bag of dog food. They are currently staying in a hotel, competing with 52 other families for housing.
Cynthia Perello, who works for Southern California Gas Company, said her employer has been supportive, but assistance from FEMA has been minimal. “So far, we got approved for just a few hundred bucks for incidentals from FEMA,” she said. “We’ve gotten no help at all when it comes to paying for this hotel from FEMA. It’s draining our finances, and I’m a little nervous about that.”
Ibarionex Perello, a photographer employed full-time at the library, described the loss of his home as “unthinkable.” He said, “We lost everything, all the camera equipment, all my film and most of my slides, but my digital archives, which I can all were contained in an eight-terabyte hard drive I did pull that I was first…” He added that while his digital images are safe, all his physical prints, tripods, lighting, and photographs are gone.
The couple has faced challenges with both FEMA and their insurance company. “Our insurance company, they’re doing the best. They’re like dragging their feet,” Cynthia Perello said. The couple is booked in their hotel through the end of the month and is urgently seeking affordable housing close to their previous home and workplaces. They are concerned that their savings will eventually run out from having to stay at hotels full-time.
Recalling the night of the fire, Ibarionex Perello said, “The power had gone out around six o’clock, and windstorms in Altadena are like an annual event. We just hunker down. Early in the morning, we’ll wake up and hopefully, we’ll have power.” He discovered the fire through a phone notification around 10 p.m. and saw flames from his bedroom window. “We were left scrambling because there was no power in the house. It was dark, so we were using the flashlights from our phones,” he said.
The Perellos have set up a GoFundMe page to aid in their rebuilding efforts and expressed gratitude for the community’s support. They hope to donate some of the funds to help their cherished community and remain in Altadena in the future.
