Sister of Hawkins House of Burgers owner loses Altadena home to Eaton fire
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - "Wow, this is unbelievable! So many memories," laments Mattie Drawn.
The 83-year-old stood before the decimated ruins of what used to be her beloved Altadena home. She was seeing the devastation in person for the very first time.
"This is the entrance… It was the entrance," says Ms. Drawn.
Her home of 55 years, built by her late husband, was located at 459 East Loma Alta Drive. The three-story, eight-bedroom, six-bathroom house had breathtaking views, but the Eaton Fire reduced it to rubble. Ms. Drawn recalls the night the wildfire destroyed her neighborhood, "It’s something I’ve never experienced before, and it was just terrifying... it was unbelievable, I can’t even put it into words."
Ms. Drawn raised her kids and foster children in her Altadena home. It was a place where the entire family would gather. "My daughter, she died a few years ago. I had a lot of her mementos, and I’ll miss that and all my children’s pictures when they were babies," says Ms. Drawn.
Despite so much loss, Ms. Drawn is grateful she and her family survived the wildfires, and she’s also thankful to all the first responders. When asked what she wants to say to firefighters, she says, "Thank you so much for your efforts. I know you worked hard."
A GoFundMe account has been set up for Mattie Drawn. Those looking to help can click here.
Ms. Drawn is the sister of Cynthia Hawkins of Hawkins Burgers in Watts.