When Dr. Raynald Samoa received the order to evacuate his Altadena home on Jan. 7, he wasn’t sure if he would ever see it again.
That night, Samoa and his family, along with their two dogs, cat, and bunny fled for safety as a fierce windstorm fueled a firestorm called the Eaton fire that would change their lives, and thousands more in the matter of minutes.
The next morning, they found out that their house burned down in the fire’s path through Altadena.
And yet, there was Samoa on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at work at City of Hope. Samoa decided to continue seeing patients at the cancer hospital, where he works as an endocrinology specialist in the internal medicine and pediatric clinics.
In the two days following the outbreak of the fire, Samoa took tele-health appointments, then went back to the hospital to see patients in-person the Friday after the fire broke out.
“It was partly because of what I went through, and partly what’s supporting me that made me decide to go back,” said Samoa.
Samoa was not alone in experiencing loss.
Even amid the chaos and uncertain about the fate of their homes in the fire, hundreds of doctors, nurses and staff at City of Hope reported to the cancer hospital in the middle of the night last week to help their patients and continue to work.
And like Samoa, others also would lose their homes.
Among them were Samoa’s colleagues Moni Amini, a case worker at the hospital, and Dr. Randy Taplitz.
“Even as this terrifying blaze raged on, I have been overwhelmed by our City of Hope team’s response, who continued to put the needs of our patients and their fellow colleagues first,” said the hospital’s CEO, Robert Stone.
Stone said for the employees displaced the hospital is working to secure transitional hotel accommodations, alternate housing, crisis and child care, along with psychosocial support, and launching a support fund.
“Within our own City of Hope family, the pain is felt deeply,” Stone said. “Hundreds of our dedicated staff were forced to evacuate, leaving behind everything they knew.”
For a week now, Samoa and his family have been living out of bags and donations.
Initially, to not impose on anyone, they decided to split up for a few days before eventually reuniting at an Airbnb in Pasadena.
But, due to the bad air quality, they decided to move further away from the fire to an Airbnb in Arcadia, where they have been living since.
When Samoa returned to the hospital on Friday, he stated that the outpouring of support from his colleagues at City of Hope is what kept him going.
Frequent “mental check-ins” from fellow health practitioners, medical assistants, and nurses helped Samoa find center and ground him in the midst of tragedy.
Colleagues stepped in when Samoa would reach his limit in seeing patients for the day. Being at the hospital allowed Samoa to “concentrate on something else,” allowing him to “grieve in sections.”
He spoke of a friend who insisted on driving with him to see the site of his home, which he was required to photograph to send to his insurance company.
“I didn’t want to see the site. I was apprehensive,” said Samoa. “I went with a friend who said “you’re not going by yourself.” That kind of support network kicked in really early for us.”
“The house was leveled. There’s no walls. Everything’s charred and burned to the ground. I was kind of glad I saw it, like when you see a loved one, you just need closure. What I saw was cement, wood, and just things. It’s a house, but it was an object. I realized I’d much rather mourn a house than somebody I care and love about.
“You don’t want to see your colleagues going through this kind of tragedy. I can see it in the eyes of everyone who works there — the concern they have for all of us.”
Witnessing the generosity of the Altadena community the past week has driven Samoa and his family to support their neighbors who had also lost their homes and belongings in the fire.
Samoa’s husband, Altadena Town Council co-chair Nic Arnzen, has constantly been “on the phone” until midnight coordinating with release services to provide resources to affected communities in Altadena, while their children volunteer at the Pasadena Civic Center and surrounding donation sites.
“Trying to make sure that we hold our responsibility to this community that’s given us and all of us so much is something that drives us,” Samoa stated.
Samoa and his family have been living in Altadena since 2012. His children attended elementary through high school in Altadena and attended youth groups at the Altadena Community Church, which burned down in the fire.
As the Eaton fire and surrounding Palisades fire continued to ravage for its seventh day, many communities are still being displaced. Samoa mourned the loss of community spaces and local organizations, which have kept Altadena tight-knit.
“These resources that are gone in the blink of an eye — it’s crushing. But it won’t erase us,” Samoa said.
Julianna Lozada is a Los Angeles-area freelance writer.