Weeks after the Eaton Fire, when smoke still clung to the air, John Dyson stood in front of the burned remains of the home he had lived in for nearly half a century.
“Most of the people are gone. It’s like wiping something off the map,” said Dyson.
In that moment, the Altadena resident didn’t think he and his family would rebuild, but after nearly 11 months, Dyson is back in his new home Thursday.
“When I started to look at the cost of rebuilding to meet the new codes, I knew it was going to be a lot,” said Dyson. “We have been looking forward to this for a long longtime. All the blood, sweat and tears, the encouragement.”
A brand-new home in West Altadena has been reimagined and built stronger.
“The siding is not wood, it looks like wood, but it is concrete, so it’s not going to burn. The windows are double-pane, fire-resistant. The roofing is fire-resistant,” said Dyson, who gave the credit to his contractor for finishing so quickly.
Dyson says the single biggest step was realizing leaving Altadena wasn’t an option.
“The African American community has deep roots in Altadena. As soon as the Fair Housing Act passed, we moved to Altadena,” said Dyson. “I can’t leave these people, my roots are very deep here, and I want to stay if I can.”
For Dyson, rebuilding wasn’t just about the house but about inspiring the community.
“I wanted to get this house done so other people could see it could be done,” said Dyson.
For now, the lots around Dyson’s house are empty, but he says he hopes to be back soon with the company of his beloved community.
“If there is silver lining and we have a beautiful patio we can sit out there and watch the sunset and i get to watch my neighbor’s house building and others coming up so i won’t be here forever,” said Dyson.