Our neighbourhood has been decimated, man tells BBCpublished at 09:14 Greenwich Mean Time
James Kelly
BBC News
Harlan Boll’s Altadena home was destroyed by the fires
Publicist Harlan Boll lost his home and beloved pet cat to the Eaton Fire, which has burned nearly 14,000 acres in
Los Angeles.
Harlan, who has represented a number of Hollywood stars during his 35-year career, fled the suburb of Altadena, where
he lived with his partner, before it was too late.
But his beautiful
100-year-old home has been reduced to rubble and ashes, he tells me.
Harlan says he managed to secure some important items before leaving, but his cat “freaked out and ran back into the house and we couldn’t find him in the dark”.
Many people in the area have “lost their entire family histories and were
literally left with the shirt off their back”, he adds.
Image source, Harlan BollThe house before it was destroyed
“We’ve seen fires on the hills before so initially we weren’t overly concerned.
“We thought we’re fine and hopped in the car to Pasadena. When we headed back the hill next to our house had stated burning.”
Harlan also tells me that his neighbourhood has been decimated.
“There’s always a little part of me that thinks we’ll be fine, but in retrospect I’m glad I panicked.”