Letters to the Editor: ‘Foot-dragging’ by insurance companies is Altadena’s biggest rebuilding obstacle
-
Click here to listen to this article - Share via
See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred
To the editor: Altadena is my beloved hometown and my family lost their homes in the Eaton fire (“Nine months after the Eaton fire, ‘moments of wavering, or wanting to give up’ on ever returning,” Sept. 27).
The fears often stated in the media about another wildfire sweeping Altadena like the one in January, and about rebuilding there, are understandable, but fail to take into account that the mountain slopes above Altadena are now significantly denuded, lowering the hazard risk for many years to come. Also, the dense foliage and abundant, decades-old trees before the fire in Altadena are now largely gone, new homes will be made of more fire-resistant materials and there will be safer landscaping.
It’s the trauma of having gone through the terrifying fire and the emptied landscape currently in Altadena that are hard to overcome for many. My sister and her husband plan to rebuild, as do my cousin and most of their neighbors and friends. The greatest obstacle they all face is the foot-dragging by insurance companies and the lack of strong, relentless pressure from state regulators to force the insurance companies to settle promptly.
By the way, I plan to build my retirement home in Altadena near my sister’s new house. We live in Southern California based on a lot of hope and faith in the future, regardless of the natural disasters.
Walter Dominguez, Los Angeles
