Former BC Lion describes destruction of parents’ home in L.A. community
Posted January 14, 2025 7:49 am.
Last Updated January 14, 2025 7:54 am.
A former BC Lion is describing the destruction of his childhood community of Altadena, a northern suburb of Los Angeles, including the loss of his parents’ home.
Daved Benefield says his elderly parents were evacuated with just hours to spare as the wind-whipped Eaton Fire tore into the town last week. He tried to get into the neighbourhood he’d known his whole life to see if his family home was okay.
“I decided to drive up just to make sure because I still couldn’t believe the fire had come so far into the neighbourhood,” he told 1130 NewsRadio. “When I got there, I had to almost sneak in. When I arrived at the scene, our whole block was on fire. It looked like the houses had collapsed and there was still a roaring blaze.”
That’s when police turned Benefield around, telling him he had to evacuate.
“As I was driving out, every light was out. I was looking for a way that wasn’t engulfed in flames.”
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Benefield — who played for the Lions in the 1990s and maintains connections to Vancouver — is stunned at how quickly the flames raced through picturesque Altadena, decimating much of the community.
“Our town is like a hip, little Mayberry. Our hardware store is gone, nothing but the walls are standing. We lost amazing houses built in the 1850s and 1860s … some will never ever be able to be replaced. The architecture and the craftsmanship, if you were to try to redo it, it would be ridiculous.”
Benefield and his son returned the next day to survey the damage to the family home.
“We had to sneak in through all sorts of side streets and we were able to walk through the rubble. As far as I could see, it was nothing but just chimneys remaining. Everything else was twisted metal and burnt cars,” he said.
“We had a parrot colony that lived in the palm trees — they lived here since people from the east would winter in Altadena and they’d bring their parrots with them. They’d wake you up every morning but now the palm trees are burnt out so the nests are all gone. I don’t know where the parrots went.”
Benefield says the speed and size of the firestorm was incomprehensible as it was whipped up by strong winds.
“I’ve been in Santa Anas before, but seeing both sides of Altadena drive on fire is something I just can’t get my head around. The wind was so incredibly strong.”
Benefield says his parents, who are in their 80s are okay, but his mother is having trouble coming to grips with the loss.
“She’s been asking when we get to go back home and I’ve been saying, ‘Mom, I told you the other day the house is gone. You’re not just visiting me, your house is gone.'”
The family set up an online fundraiser Sunday to help with recovery and rebuilding costs, attracting almost $20,000 USD by Tuesday.
“It will probably be a three-year process and I hope it doesn’t take too much out of them during this time as they restart and try to find some kind of normalcy,” he said.
“I really appreciate my friends who have reached out from so many places in Vancouver and across Canada and continue to ask how we’re doing.”
