By David Tuckman/American Red Cross

As wildfire advanced swiftly across Pacific Palisades, resident and kindergarten teacher Tara Connon was at work a few miles away in Santa Monica, unaware of the approaching danger. Soon, mobile phone alerts started coming in, informing Tara and others in her community to vacate the Palisades area. Panick sent residents rushing home to evacuate their families and pets. With Connon's kids safe at school, her husband at work, she was able to rush home to rescue her cats.

Connon drove quickly up Sunset Boulevard, only to be stopped by a police roadblock that prevented her from reaching her home. With the only road to their house blocked, her husband met her down the hill while neighbors watched the smoke and flames engulf both sides of the hillside. Fortunately, the couple’s older children were able to reach safety and their housekeeper managed to grab the family cat and important documents just in time before fleeing to safety.

There was nothing else that could be done but wait and watch from a distance as the fire raged on.

Though badly damaged the Connons were fortunate — their home survived the fire. In the days that followed, they faced a confusing maze of smoke damage, environmental testing and major repairs. 

The Connons attended a community event that provided resources and information for anyone affected by the wildfires, where they met representatives from Hope Crisis Response Network (HCRN), one of many Red Cross partners that provide long-term recovery support for disaster-affected families. Soon after, HCRN and Red Cross teams came to their home to assess the damage.

“We had a lot of repairs to tackle — embers had created holes in the roof, and a rainstorm flooded our home. In a time of complete overwhelm, the Red Cross came through,” Connon said.

The Connons faced the daunting task of removing all contaminated and destroyed items from their home to begin remediation. Red Cross volunteers, working alongside HCRN, came through for them over several weekends, helping with whatever was needed. The volunteers packed items into boxes and bins for salvage and assisted with moving trash to the curb, including damaged furniture. Youth volunteers also participated — one, about to start college, even offered to spend time with the Connons’ high school senior son to share insights on preparing for college life.

“Some volunteers, who were contractors by trade, knew exactly what to do” Connon said. “They pulled up the carpet and nails right away. They were so generous and kind and they empowered us to start a new life. It felt like, ‘Let’s get this done and get you back into your home’. We may have a long way to go, but it got a little bit easier thanks to the generosity of the Red Cross.”

The experience has motivated the Connons to give back. “Absolutely — I’m going to become a Red Cross volunteer. I’ve done charity work in the past, and our family has always supported community service,” Connon said. “We feel fortunate to be in good health and blessed to have the caring support of the Red Cross.”

Start your volunteer journey with the Red Cross by visiting redcross.org/volunteer.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.