In January 2025, wildfire reshaped Los Angeles in ways that will be felt for decades.
For the residents of Altadena and Pacific Palisades, the fires were not distant emergencies unfolding on television screens. They were deeply personal catastrophes—homes reduced to ash, neighborhoods erased, jobs disrupted, schools closed, and communities scattered. One year later, as the city approaches the first anniversary of those fires, a powerful four-day installation in downtown Los Angeles created space not only to remember what was lost, but to honor resilience, amplify survivor voices, and recommit to rebuilding together.
That installation—With Us—was created by the Department of Angels, a Los Angeles–based organization co-founded by Miguel Santana, CEO of the California Community Foundation, and Evan Spiegel, co-founder of Snapchat. MySafe:LA was honored to attend the opening of With Us, to listen to survivors share their stories, and to stand alongside partners who believe that recovery must be grounded in community, dignity, and long-term support.
A Different Kind of Memorial
With Us is not a traditional memorial. It does not attempt to summarize loss through numbers or timelines. Instead, it centers people.
The installation is immersive, intimate, and deeply human—lovingly capturing memories, moments, and the ongoing struggles of individuals and families who lost homes, livelihoods, and a sense of place in the Altadena and Palisades wildland-urban interface fires. Visitors move through stories that acknowledge grief without rushing it, and that recognize recovery as a process measured in years, not weeks.
What makes With Us so powerful is its restraint. It does not prescribe solutions or offer a quick fix. Instead, it asks visitors to be present—to listen, reflect, and recognize that behind every burned structure lies a lived history.
In doing so, the installation reminds us that disaster recovery is not just about rebuilding physical structures. It is about restoring identity, connection, and hope.
Listening First: Survivor Voices at the Center
At the opening of With Us, MySafe:LA listened.
We listened as residents described the moment evacuation orders arrived—sometimes with minutes to spare. We listened as parents spoke about children uprooted from schools and friends, and about the emotional toll of prolonged displacement. We listened as longtime residents reflected on the loss not just of houses but of histories: family photographs, heirlooms, and neighborhoods that had shaped their lives for generations.
These stories reinforced a truth MySafe:LA holds at the core of its mission: resilience begins with listening.
Recovery efforts that fail to center survivor voices risk repeating harm—overlooking real needs, eroding trust, and prioritizing speed over sustainability. With Us does the opposite. It creates space for stories that are unfinished, complex, and deeply personal, reminding us that healing begins when people are seen and heard.
Community in Action: MySafe:LA at With Us
MySafe:LA exists to help Los Angeles communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters—wildfires, earthquakes, and everything in between. Participating in With Us was a natural extension of that mission.
During the four-day installation, MySafe:LA:
- Hosted an on-site episode of the Rebuild LA podcast, capturing reflections from survivors, nonprofit leaders, and community partners.
- Engaged with local nonprofit organizations and homeowner associations to discuss concrete steps toward wildfire-resilient neighborhoods.
- Strengthened relationships with organizations committed to long-term recovery, preparedness, and community-led resilience.
The resulting podcast episode—Rebuild LA, Episode 059: Marking the First Anniversary of the January Firestorms – “With Us”—extends the impact of the installation beyond its physical space, preserving survivor voices and insights for a wider audience.
🎧 Listen to the episode here:
https://rebuildla.buzzsprout.com/2441905/episodes/18459041-rebuild-la-episode-059-marking-the-first-anniversary-of-the-january-firestorms-with-us (or anywhere you get your podcast deliveries)
For MySafe:LA, storytelling is not an end in itself. It is a catalyst—helping communities translate lived experience into action, preparedness, and advocacy.
Shared Purpose: Partnering for Long-Term Recovery
With Us was also partnered with a new nonprofit organization, Extreme Weather Survivors, whose mission is to support people recovering from any disaster. Their presence underscored a critical reality facing Los Angeles and communities across California: wildfires are not isolated events. Earthquakes, floods, heat waves, and severe storms are increasingly interconnected challenges driven by climate change and urban vulnerability.
This alignment matters.
As disasters become more frequent and complex, recovery efforts must evolve beyond short-term aid and fragmented responses. Effective recovery requires:
- Support for long-term displacement and housing insecurity
- Attention to mental health and trauma
- Investment in neighborhood-scale preparedness
- Strong social networks that persist long after debris is cleared
MySafe:LA is eager to expand its collaborations with organizations such as the Department of Angels and Extreme Weather Survivors—partners who understand that resilience is built at the intersection of preparedness, compassion, and sustained community engagement.
One Year Later: Reflection and Responsibility
Anniversaries are complicated. They reopen wounds—but they also sharpen focus.
One year after the January 2025 fires, With Us asks Los Angeles to pause and reflect: What have we learned? What have we changed? And what still needs to be done?
History offers cautionary lessons. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake did not destroy the city on its own—the devastating urban fires that followed did. In many disasters, the most significant losses occur not in the initial event but in the aftermath, when systems are strained, communities are fragmented, and inequities deepen.
The same risks exist today.
With Us pushes back against that trajectory by insisting that survivors are not forgotten and that recovery is not a private burden. It reminds us that preparedness and resilience are shared responsibilities that require collaboration among residents, nonprofits, first responders, philanthropy, and public agencies.
Rebuilding More Than Structures
For MySafe:LA, this moment reinforces why our work matters.
True resilience is not just about defensible space, evacuation routes, or emergency kits—though all of those are essential. It is also about trust, relationships, and neighbors’ ability to support one another before disaster strikes.
Through efforts like:
- Supporting and expanding Fire Safe Councils
- Providing wildfire and earthquake preparedness education
- Elevating community voices in planning and policy conversations
- Building partnerships that bridge preparedness, recovery, and advocacy
MySafe:LA works to ensure that communities are not only safer, but stronger and more connected.
Standing With Us
The Department of Angels chose its name deliberately. Angels, in this context, are not distant figures. They are neighbors, volunteers, listeners, artists, and advocates—people who show up when it matters most.
With Us is a reminder that community is not something we return to after a disaster. It is what carries us through it.
As Los Angeles continues to heal from the January 2025 fires—and prepares for the challenges ahead—MySafe:LA is proud to stand with the Department of Angels, Extreme Weather Survivors, and, most importantly, the residents of Altadena and Pacific Palisades who are rebuilding their futures with courage, dignity, and resolve.
Because resilience is not built alone.
It is built—with us.
