Thousands of empty lots now dot neighborhoods that would otherwise be brimming with holiday decorations. <\/strong>Survivors say those inescapable reminders of what was lost gives them a renewed appreciation of Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m optimistic and try not to dwell on it,\u201d Cherkas said. He’s seen wildfires disrupt the lives of plenty of other people. But now, he said, \u201cI am that other person.\u201d<\/p>\n So instead of getting ready for his annual party, Cherkas and his wife chose to spend Thanksgiving this year with old neighbors from Sunset Mesa <\/strong>who relocated to Arizona before the fire hit. <\/p>\n Being with old friends, he said, <\/strong>\u201cmakes it feel a little bit like being home.\u201d <\/p>\n Cherkas intends to rebuild but says permitting is taking much longer than expected. Like all natural disasters, rebuilding is an onerous process. Fewer than 2,000 permits have been issued in burn zones out of 5,000 applications received to date, according to the state\u2019s dashboard<\/a>. About 3,100 are under review and thousands more have yet to be submitted. <\/p>\n Tom Reed, who also lost his home in the Palisades Fire, said this year has been a study in creative problem-solving. For Easter, rather than hosting the annual egg hunt for his grandchildren in the backyard, he and wife threw a party in the courtyard of their rental condo. The adults wore T-shirts with eggs attached via velcro. Instead of hunting for eggs, grandchildren hunted for grandparents. <\/p>\n \u201cThings have changed, but I gotta find amusement,\u201d he said<\/p>\n When the question of where to host Thanksgiving came around, Reed decided one day was simply not enough. Instead of cramming everyone into the condo, Reed, his wife and the rest of the family will spend the weekend at Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t look back because it will mess with your head,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Across the county, in Altadena, Freddy Sayegh is back in his smoke-damaged house. It has been remediated, but his wife and two children remained at their rental for several months. <\/p>\n![\"Before](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/251126-Freddy-Sayegh-thanksgiving-ew-1241p-03170a.jpg\")
Before the fire, Thanksgiving Day festivities with Freddy Sayegh\u2019s large extended family could number anywhere between 50 and 60 people all in one house. This year, the family is splitting up because many relatives were displaced by the Eaton Fire.Courtesy Freddy Sayegh<\/p>\n
![\"Altadena](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/251126-Keni-Arts-Davis-ew-123p-bc1085.jpg\")
Altadena resident Keni “Arts” Davis plans to spend this Thanksgiving Day at the home of one of his daughters outside Los Angeles who not affected by the Eaton Fire. He is most grateful this year that everyone is safe and happy.Courtesy Keni “Arts” Davis<\/p>\n