After years of hard work, I paid off my mortgage aged 64. Weeks later, the LA fires arrived
A 64-year-old woman paid off the mortgage on her $1 million home just weeks before the Los Angeles wildfires destroyed it.
Totress Beasley was one of thousands of Californians who had to evacuate their homes as the flames approached, only to return to find everything they owned destroyed.
“I paid off my house on December 17, 2024 and lost it on January 8, 2025,” the Pasadena resident said on Facebook.
“My house burned down, but please believe with me, he once gave it to me and he can restore what I lost.”
Beasley told it KTL that amid the tragedy, she and her son are struggling to find a place to stay as criminal landlords raise rents to take advantage of the crisis.
Post-disaster price gouging is illegal in California.
“I may have been cited 5,000 times [a month]Beasley said of a one-bedroom apartment she inquired about.
“Some of my friends have talked to people and they said $6,000 plus, and then a girl told me someone was asking $8,000.”
Beasley shared devastating images of her home being destroyed by flames.
Totress Beasley, 64, paid off her mortgage just weeks before the Los Angeles fires destroyed it on January 8
Beasley’s Los Angeles home is in flames amid the LA wildfires
A GoFundMe started by her son Aaron Miller has received more than $27,000 of the $150,000 goal.
“In an instant, our lives were turned upside down as we lost not only our home, but the cherished memories and connections that defined us,” Miller wrote.
“I paid off my house on December 17 and lost it on January 8, 2025,” the Pasadena resident said
“The home was a sanctuary, a place where we worshiped, served our community, and welcomed friends and neighbors. It was the place where we shared meals, laughter and love with those who walked through our doors.
“As I mourn that loss, I am faced with the enormous task of rebuilding our lives from the ground up.”
Staggered from one of the most destructive natural disasters in Southern California history, thousands of heartbroken families, burned-out business owners and beleaguered leaders in Los Angeles County are beginning to consider another monumental task: rebuilding what’s been lost and charting a path forward. a path forward.
The traumatized region got through Wednesday without another major fire breaking out, after forecasters warned of a new round of particularly dangerous wind gusts.
But even as flames continue to leap from two of the largest fires, which have killed 25 people and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings, government officials spoke Wednesday about the epic job that will unfold over the years.
They must clear Altadena, Pacific Palisades and other blighted communities of toxic ash and debris, then rebuild homes, restaurants, schools, boutiques, banks and places of worship. And financing for this mammoth task remains uncertain.
The house can be seen after the fire was extinguished. A GoFundMe started by her son Aaron Miller has received more than $27,000 of its $150,000 goal
The house was seen before it was destroyed. The fires caused 25 deaths and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings
Due to ongoing firefighting and the likelihood of hazardous waste in burned areas, many concerned residents have yet to return to see what, if anything, is left of their homes.
The losses range from multimillion-dollar mansions with ocean views to modest homes that once welcomed returning soldiers from World War II.
Meanwhile, nearly half of Californians hold Governor Gavin Newsom responsible for the damage caused by the wildfires.
According to the new survey from DailyMail.com/J. Partners, 47 percent of Californians think the Democratic governor is largely or somewhat responsible for the damage caused by the flames.
President-elect Donald Trump was among those who blamed Newsom, claiming that his forest management policies and fish conservation efforts are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in some urban areas.
Newsom has denied Trump’s claims and labeled them misinformation.
Californians also blame LA Mayor Karen Bass for the situation; 48 percent of them say they think they are largely or somewhat responsible.