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Days after a wildfire destroyed their apartment and all their earthly belongings, Raul and Claudia De La Rosa have only one thing to lean on in the face of adversity: their Catholic faith.
Although they are now homeless, the longtime Altadena residents say they are trying to stay optimistic about their future and urge their four kids — ages 6 to 14 — to trust that God will help them find new housing and rebuild their lives.
“God does things for a reason,” Claudia said. “We’ve had to tell them that they will not have a home anymore, but he will provide. We will see what better things he has planned for us.”
The couple — who belong to St. John the Baptist Church in Baldwin Park — are among the thousands of Los Angeles County residents who’ve become refugees of the wildfires that hit parts of Los Angeles County this month.
Their apartment complex and much of their neighborhood was lost to the Eaton Fire, which has caused at least 16 deaths and destroyed more than 1,900 structures — and damaged or threatened thousands more — since the blaze began on Jan. 7.
Although the De La Rosas lived in their Pine Street apartment for only three years, they’ve called Altadena home for decades. Claudia lived in the town for more than 30 years, and has fond memories of growing up there. Raul has lived there since 2000.
The first night of the fire, the couple was inside their apartment with their children when they heard someone screaming outside, saying a fire was looming in the distance.
When the couple stepped outside and saw the nearby hills ablaze, they decided to flee while they still had the chance.
“We took two to three steps and we saw the fire in the mountains,” Claudia said. “So we ran back to the house. We got the kids. And we took off. … We didn’t even wait for the evacuation.”
The couple grabbed their Bibles, legal documents, and a few sets of clothes, and headed to Claudia’s mother’s home across town for safety, all while encouraging their kids to trust in God, even if they ended up losing their home to the fire.
“We told them that we had to evacuate and that we didn’t know if we were going to have a house or not, and that God is the only one that knows what was going to happen,” Claudia said. “We were sad, but we were calm, and we just got out.”
The couple could see the wildfire from Claudia’s mother’s house and kept checking to see if it was descending into their neighborhood. After seeing that most of the hills were engulfed in flames, Claudia knew instinctively that they’d lost their home.
“I told my husband, we don’t have an apartment anymore,” she said.
Although the couple was unable to return due to road closures, a neighbor and a relative visited their block and confirmed with photos and video that their apartment complex had been burned to the ground.
The De La Rosas were eventually evacuated from Claudia’s mother’s house as well, and went to stay at a family member’s home in Pico Rivera. There, they’ve been processing the events of the week and drawing on their Catholic faith to weather the storm.
The family’s life has been turned upside down since the fire. They lost their beds, their clothing, and all of their possessions. Raul has lost his job in construction, as the Altadena-based company he worked for was also decimated by the fires. And after evacuating and relocating several times, Claudia said she feels like the Holy Family of Nazareth seeking shelter.
“We’re knocking on doors, seeing who will open,” she said.
Although the family is facing mounting challenges in the fire’s aftermath, they are trying to stay strong and united by counting their blessings, continuing to pray, and looking forward to a brighter future together.
Claudia says she is grateful that her family was still awake when the fire broke out, which enabled them to escape unharmed. And their children are constantly asking God and the Virgin Mary to help the family during this difficult time. The couple belong to the Neocatechumenal Way at St. John the Baptist, where they keep receiving words of consolation and hope through weekly meetings and Masses.
“The life that we once had is never going to be the same again because everything has been reduced to ashes,” said Raul. “All of our memories, all of the moments that we lived together as a family. But we need to move forward holding God’s hand, and we will see that he will provide in our lives.”
Claudia is six months pregnant with the couple’s fifth child. She says that she is viewing the impending birth as a sign that God has a plan for renewal for her family, after experiencing such a devastating loss.
Raul’s relative has set up a GoFundMe online fundraiser for the De La Rosas to help them relocate and start rebuilding their lives.
Prior to the fire, they were looking to move closer to St. John’s, which is about 20 miles from their Altadena apartment, so Claudia sees this as an opportunity to continue planning the move.
Although Claudia is saddened by the devastation in her beloved hometown, and is grieving for her neighbors who also lost everything, she also has words of hope for them.
“What I would tell the community of Altadena is to have faith,” she said. “God has something better for us. It may not be the way we as humans want, but God has something better for us. The Lord is with us, and he’s faithful at all times and in all situations.”
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has established a special dedicated fund to provide financial assistance to help victims with food, clothing, and other needs related to the fires. To donate, visit here.
Resources and updates from around the Archdiocese of Los Angeles can be found at https://lacatholics.org/california-fires/
