PACIFIC PALISADES Mark and Jennifer Sommer walking in the ruins of their house.
– Here were the steps and the front door, over there were the stairs, kitchen, dining room and living room. This was a beautiful house, a really beautiful house, says Mark Sommer.
He gestures to different parts of his former house, which is now a pile of ashes and nails.
– I didn’t like the poles, Jennifer Sommer admits.
Sommerie and their two daughters, Talia22, and Ellen17, had his dream home destroyed in the wildfires that have raged around Los Angeles this week.
The fires started in the hills of Pacific Palisades on Tuesday. The fire has already destroyed more than 10,000 buildings, and entire residential areas have been razed to the ground. The death toll now stands at 16.
The Sommers are used to wildfires in the area. Mark Sommer says he couldn’t believe the fire would spread to their home. They had lived there for 12 years.
– When we left, we thought we would return soon, because we have been evacuated before.
They took with them only a couple of days’ change of clothes, passports and other important documents and their wedding album. Jennifer Sommer regrets not taking any of the paintings her grandfather painted during World War II with her.
– He was the first American doctor who let me into a concentration camp. I held one of the boards in my hands, but put it back on the wall. I thought it would be waiting for us when we got back.
“I couldn’t believe it”
The sea of flame advanced rapidly from the top of the hill. Winds blowing with the force of a hurricane spread the embers as fireballs that flew kilometers away. The flames engulfed everything in their path, including the idyllic little town of Pacific Palisades, which has just over 20,000 residents.
The church, grocery store, school, small boutiques, popular cafes and restaurants are all history. So are entire neighborhoods.
– Our house caught fire at 20:45, because we saw it on the doorbell camera, says Mark Sommer.
The family had left their home for the last time six hours before. Jennifer Sommer wasn’t ready to face reality.
– Even though I saw the flames on camera, I couldn’t believe it was true. I thought our home would be standing when I went to sleep.
Like a death in the family
The couple’s best memories are of their children and their neighbors who were their friends.
– I remember my daughters’ birthday parties well when they were younger. And dinners with three of our friends’ families, the most recent of which was on Sunday. We all lost our homes.
Jennifer Sommer compares the loss of her home to the death of a family.
– Fortunately, we still have each other and coming to the fire scene helps us start the grieving process.
The family is currently considering different options for the future. Building a new million-dollar home is not easy, especially when the insurance only covers part of the loss.
– I feel in my heart that we will build a new house, but it could take years, Mark Sommer thinks.
Believe in tomorrow, that familiar chatter coming from a nearby tree.
– That’s our owl, our scoundrel. I think hearing that rumor is a good omen, says Jennifer Sommer hopefully.
The boogers lived behind the home in the tall spruces that were still standing. Mark Sommer thought they died in a fire.
– I am happy that they survived.