Natasha Dowling is anxiously waiting to see her California property.
Originally from Kapuskasing, she’s now living in California and lost her home in the devastating Palisades fire.
As her family begins the process of rebuilding, she’s relying on community support and sharing her story to raise awareness — and money — through a GoFundMe campaign.
The Los Angeles area fires started on Jan. 7. Tens of thousands of acres have burned, over 12,000 structures have been destroyed and at least 25 people have died. Three blazes are still active, with the largest in Palisades.
While Dowling, whose maiden name is Kucheran, and her family escaped unscathed, losing cherished items in their home is devastating, she said.
Among the items destroyed were sentimental treasures, including a Tanzanite ring she designed from a stone purchased during a trip to Africa with her husband, and heirlooms from her grandparents.
“You know, the house you can rebuild. A lot of the things you can re-buy. But, there's so many you just can't replace,” she said.
“You have to be willing to let go of those things. And when you've lost so much, it's hard. It’s heartbreaking.”
They are still waiting to access their property and see in person what’s left of their home.
“We were hoping to see our property yesterday, but we weren't actually allowed to access it,” she said.
“You have to go somewhere else to get a pass to go see it, and the wait right now is six hours to get the pass. And then, luckily, the pass is valid for several days. I'm anxious to see the property.”
Dowling is focusing on the good things that are transpiring.
“So many people have nothing. We are so fortunate because we have food on the table every day. We have shelter over us every day,” she said.
“Yes, our house, everything got burned to the fire, but there's still so many people that have nothing in life, and I feel very selfish talking about a ring that I will no longer see.”
Support has also come from unexpected places, including vendors offering discounts to families who lost their homes, Dowling said.
“There’s a bunch of different vendors in the Palisades, like Lululemon, that are offering discounts so that we can all replenish our clothes and have some to wear,” she said.
“The whole process is so emotional, but I just love seeing how the community's trying to meet everybody's needs. Some people didn't have a friend or a family member to go to, so they've had to use the shelter. And it's amazing to see that not only are we helping the families that lost their homes, but all the first responders, they're being taken care of too. The community's providing meals for them as well.”
The road to rebuilding is “daunting,” Dowling said. Toxic waste has to be removed from the property before construction can begin.
“That's one of the first things that needs to happen. So we've applied for that, but we don't know how long that will take. My husband's already trying to reach out to builders. Once we find a builder, we will create the design and go through that rebuild process,” she said.
“But the devastation is so widespread that one of the concerns we have is the escalating cost of construction, because the demand will be so high, the cost will go up. So we're concerned about that for everybody's sake. It's going to be interesting to see how this unfolds.”
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For the Dowlings, Jan. 8 began like any other until her husband spotted the fire from their bathroom window. He immediately alerted her, prompting her to leave her office near the Los Angeles International Airport.
“There was urgency in his voice, so I left within five to 10 minutes,” she said.
“By the time I was pulling out of the parking lot, I received an emergency call from my son’s school telling parents to pick up their kids.”
Navigating chaotic traffic and road closures, Dowling reached the fire station on Sunset Boulevard where her son’s school had relocated students.
“I parked and ran to the fire station. I met my son but also saw several other of his classmates that hadn’t been picked up. I managed to call parents to confirm whether or not I should take their kids with me,” she said.
“I ended up taking four other kids. We don’t even think twice about it. We just help each other out.”
At home, Dowling and her husband focused on evacuating, with plans to meet up with the children’s parents she had picked up.
“From our house, we could see the fire coming down the hill into our neighbourhood so we didn’t waste any time. Our dog and son were with my husband and I had the other kids. Our drive to the Jonathan Club, a beach club, was eerie,” she recalled.
“There was ash blowing everywhere and the sky was dark. Traffic was slow but moving. We got to the Jonathan Club. We stayed for what felt like an hour, but I’m not sure. Parents arrived to meet their kids. We then drove to San Diego to stay at a friend's place.”
She and her family have relocated temporarily to San Diego while searching for a home to lease in Los Angeles to stay close to their son’s school, which has found a temporary location in Santa Monica.
“A lot of the schools burnt down in the area. My son's school did not burn down, but it sustained a lot of damage. I'm hoping it will reopen in September, but they found a different location, and they will hopefully accept students at the beginning of February,” she said.
“We want him to be with his friends, because so many of the families have also lost their homes. I think there's a lot of power in just bonding together and working through this together.”
Being Prepared
The Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires started on Jan. 7 and have burned nearly 40,700 acres.
Over 12,000 structures have been destroyed by the fires and at least 24 people have died.
To date, the Palisades Fire has burned more than 23,700 acres and is only 22 per cent contained.
The experience has taught Dowling several lessons about disaster preparedness such as regularly updating go bags and creating realistic emergency plans.
“Even the small things matter, like making sure clothes in your go bag actually fit,” she said.
She also noted the value of taking annual photos of a home’s interior and exterior to help insurance claims.
From Northern Ontario to California
Dowling’s journey from Kapuskasing to Los Angeles was shaped by education, career opportunities, and love.
After studying at the University of Ottawa and working for the federal government, she moved to Toronto, where she spent a decade working in telecommunications.
In 2009, a chance blind date during a visit to Los Angeles led to her meeting her now-husband.
As Dowling reflects on the overwhelming support she has received from friends, family, and strangers alike, she remains optimistic despite the challenges.
“At the end of the day, we’re very blessed. This is a terrible tragedy, but we have a lot of love and support, and we will be okay,” she said.
For those who wish to support Dowling and her family, donations can be made through their GoFundMe campaign.
