An Australian fashion editor has described the ‘incredible pain’ of discovering her new family home had been destroyed by the LA fires.
Sacha Strebe, her husband Troy and her son Neon lost everything on Thursday morning when their home in Altadena, in the northwest of the city, was in ruins.
All their belongings were lost in the fire, including clothing and furniture.
Ms Strebe, originally from Cairns, Far North Queensland, uploaded a heartbreaking post to Instagram on Thursday following the destruction of her home.
“We woke up to the devastating news that our beloved home had burned down, along with our entire street and all of Altadena,” she wrote.
‘This has been the most grueling day of my life. I am in shock, the crying comes in waves, sadness, deep despair and incredible pain.’
Ms Strebe, editor-in-chief of lifestyle brand EyeSwoon, founded by interior designer Athena Calderone, said her family is safe.
She explained that she drove to Arizona with her husband and son to stay with her husband’s family before returning to their home the next day.
Mrs Strebe and her husband Troy spent two years building their dream home before moving into the property in June 2023
The family lost everything on Thursday morning when their home in Altadena, in the northwest of the city, was in ruins.
Ms Strebe uploaded a video on Friday to show the extent of the destruction.
The clip showed the structure completely burned and flat on the ground, while parts of the damaged property were scattered across the charred ground.
Small flames were seen underneath the remains of the property.
‘Our house. It’s gone. I keep getting flashbacks of our memories in this place,” Ms. Strebe wrote.
‘They feel so crystal clear, like I’m in a nightmare and will soon wake up in my bed.
‘But I will never wake up in this beautiful house again. I have moments of clarity and focus, then I cry uncontrollably with a heavy heart and excruciating pain for what we have lost, but also for the collective loss of our Altadena community.
“Every business is gone. So many houses have been razed to the ground.’
The family only moved into the dream house in June 2023 after two years of construction.
Ms. Strebe is editorial director of lifestyle brand EyeSwoon, founded by interior designer Athena Calderone
Before that, they rented a home in Silver Lake for eight years. Ms. Strebe has lived in LA for more than a decade.
A good friend, Elizabeth Cruz Trujillo, founded one GoFundeMe page in an effort to provide much-needed financial support to the family and help them find temporary housing.
“They have poured their hearts and souls into building this new family home over the past two years,” Ms. Trujillo wrote.
“Moving to this mountain home brought comfort and a deep sense of peace to their family. It was their refuge and safe place.
“We humbly ask that you join us in supporting the Strebe family during this difficult time as they rebuild their lives in their beloved city.”
At least 11 people have been killed, including Australian Rory Callum Sykes, as catastrophic fires rage through Los Angeles into a fifth day and police carry out a series of looting and arson arrests.
More than 10,000 structures burned to the ground on Saturday, scorching a total of 29,053 hectares of land in one of Los Angeles’ most horrific disasters to date.