Wildfire survivors marking first Thanksgiving since losing their homes

Family's first Thanksgiving since losing home

Thursday will be the first Thanksgiving weekend since the January wildfires, and also the first for the Eaton Fire survivors who have to observe the holiday without their homes.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - Thursday will be the first Thanksgiving weekend since the January wildfires, and also the first for the many fire survivors who have to observe the holiday without their homes.

Nelly Head and her late husband moved into their Altadena home on Thanksgiving Day 1994. In the three decades since, their family spent every holiday in that home until they lost it to the Eaton Fire.

"This is the place where we have all those memories, and now it's all gone," said Nelly Head.

One of the things she's thankful for this Thanksgiving week is that she and her family are in a rental home nearby.

"It wasn't easy. We went to six different places, but finally we found this house at least, and it's close enough to the kids' school and work," said Head.

After the fire, they temporarily lived in Northridge, Menifee, Azusa, Glendale, Big Bear, Arcadia, and finally now in Pasadena. But this Thanksgiving, they're missing Altadena.

"We're focusing on us being together and being safe and starting new traditions, picking out new decorations with the kids and keeping the traditions," said Nelly's daughter, Corrina Vasquez.

The family is looking forward to returning one day. For a sign of hope, they're thankful they don't have to look far, as a neighbor is already rebuilding.