All that is left of Kati Vaarasuo’s, 48, home in Altadena is the chimney.
A Finn lost his home in the fires raging in Los Angeles, USA Kati Vaarasuo48, who had to be evacuated from the fire.
Vaarasuo said that he had already left his home on Tuesday to visit his boyfriend. The next day, the phone started beeping frantically: he and the other residents of Altadena had received a warning to get out of the way of the flames.
Vaarasuo still dared to pick up his things on Wednesday.
– Our house was standing, but the situation was really dangerous. The water and electricity were out, but since the gas had not been cut off, there was a risk of gas explosions, Vaarasuo told STT in a phone interview late Friday Finnish time from Los Angeles.
Home no longer with the barrel upright
When Vaarasuo visited Altadena with the help of his friend one more time on Thursday to check the situation, the home was already the same as before.
– Only the chimney was left standing in my house.
Most of the other houses in the area had also burned, and some were still consumed by the flames. Power lines were hanging everywhere, the water was polluted with soot and dirt, and telecommunication connections were down.
– Until then, there was still a little hope that the house would still be there, but yesterday that hope was gone. I sent photos of the place to the landlady and we cried together on the phone.
According to Vaarasuo, the house was a beautiful detached house, which the landlady had completely renovated the previous year. The house had its own swimming pool and marble floors installed during the renovation.
Vaarasuo lived in the house with his landlady and her family. They are all in evacuation now.
– There is a rather upset mood in the whole city. This is terribly sad.
The idyll turned into a nightmare
According to Vaarasuo, before the wildfires, the Altadena area was a peaceful, idyllic little community up on a hill, far from the noise and pollution of the city.
– It’s a really wild situation, and even now there are five fires going on here.
Vaarasuo thinks she is lucky because she gets to live with her boyfriend as long as necessary. He mourns for his landlady and her family. They fled to the landlady’s brother.
– My landlady has nowhere else to go. Even now, there are already 15 people evacuated in his brother’s home. They have no idea where to go next.
The wildfires raging for the fourth day have been the president Joe Biden including the most extensive and destructive at least in the history of the state of California.
According to residents interviewed by the news agency AFP, criticism of the authorities has grown. According to many residents of Altadena, the authorities were not seen for a long time in the early stages of the fires, and people had to try to extinguish the flames themselves. In addition, the water ran out at the beginning of the extinguishing work.
The authorities have also been accused of focusing on more affluent residential areas – on the other hand, the expensive Pacific Palisades residential area favored by Hollywood stars has also burned almost completely to the ground.
However, according to the Finnish woman, the authorities have shared good information with the residents. Shelters have been erected for those who escaped the flames, and grants and food stamps have been distributed, he says.
Currently, Vaarasuo himself is investigating possible subsidies that those who have lost their homes can apply for in California.
– Now we just have to continue with the Finnish content and gather information in order to move forward.