Pacific Palisades residents have had few opportunities to gather since the Palisades Fire ripped through the Pacific Palisades community in January.
But on a clear Thanksgiving morning, runners could be seen stretching in front of hollowed-out buildings, while participants in turkey costumes walked along the charred streets in preparation for the 11th annual Pacific Palisades Turkey Trot.
“After everything we’ve lost and suffered this year, it’s so heartwarming to see so many people come back here to support the community,” said Brian Garrett, a lifelong Pacific Palisades resident whose home burned. “It gives us hope that we can rebuild our town and get back here.”
The Palisades Fire broke out on January 7 and was not completely extinguished until the end of the month. It is considered the third most destructive wildfire in California history – 6,800 structures were destroyed, 36.5 square miles of the Santa Monica Mountains were scorched, and at least 12 people died.
David Houston, whose home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire and now lives in Venice, arrived wearing an inflatable turkey costume.
Heidi Lindelof of Brentwood celebrated the day with turkey socks.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
David O’Connell, the event’s co-founder, isn’t sure whether the holiday run will be held this year given the situation in the neighborhood. But after Labor Day, he started fielding calls from sponsors and runners eager to participate. About 2,000 people signed up.
“Obviously, the community really wants to have an event to get things back to normal again. It’s one of the biggest running days of the year and a lot of people want to be with their friends and family,” said O’Connell, who also lost his home in the fire and has been living in Century City.
He added, “This is a new course as well. I’m not sure what we’re going to do in the future, but right now, we’re in downtown Pacific Palisades, which adds a dimension given the current situation.”
The course starts and ends at the Palisades Village Green, a small triangular park in the heart of the city. Runners crossed the cliffs of Via de las Olas, an area largely scorched by the fire. Once filled with houses, these neighborhoods are now empty lots that have either been completely cleared or are still filled with rubble. There are a few surviving houses along the way, but their windows are boarded up and have no-entry signs posted.
Many neighborhoods, once packed with homes, are now empty lots that have either been completely cleared or are still filled with rubble.
Pacific Palisades, a largely affluent community between Malibu and Santa Monica, was home to more than 21,000 people before the fire. Many residents have since been displaced, with many moving to other neighborhoods on the West Side.
Micah and Julie Levin and their two sons, who lost their home, had been renting in Brentwood until recently and moved into another house in the Palisades. As they ran, the family realized they would pass the site of a burned home.
“I’m just grateful to be able to do this today because every time I go to the house it’s a sad experience,” Julie Levine said after the game. Now, she adds, “I can project something different — something livelier, happier.”
She said nothing remains of where they once lived “but a patch of grass.” Their son Merritt added that he could hardly tell which batch was theirs because they all looked the same.
“We chose [to live in] Palisades is about the power of community. So the fact that we’re all here now doesn’t surprise me at all,” Julie Levine said. “It’s so peaceful here. We miss the peace and quiet. We miss sunsets and sunrises. We miss being close to the ocean. “
The route passes through commercial and residential areas. Down one of the blocks, Ryann Mackston stood on the corner where her parents’ pizzeria, Beach Street Cafe, had been before the fire. Her parents owned the restaurant for about 20 years, and Maxton and her brother worked there as teenagers. She said seeing so many people gathering in the streets took her back to her childhood.
Runners pass where the Pacific Palisades Community United Methodist Church once stood.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
“It almost feels normal – obviously it’s not normal. There’s still broken glass on the ground and there’s rubble all around us,” Maxton said. “But it’s good to have some sense of normalcy in the community and do some of the things we’ve all done.”
In addition to losing the family business, the Maxtons also lost their home and moved to Manhattan Beach. The 24-year-old said no matter where her family moved, they always came back to the Palisade.
“It’s still a part of us. We’re going to rebuild. People are going to move back as much as they can and they’re still a part of this community,” Maxton said. “I want to keep it alive even if I don’t live here anymore.”
