By: Henry Chen '27 and Oliver Zheng '27
Blazing, vivid, intense: a huge cloud of crimson red was clearly visible through the small portholes. Gazing down at the LA fire while experiencing strong turbulence, a handful of Cate students witnessed the flames roaming in the hills as their planes landed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Fueled by strong winds and dry conditions, the LA wildfire erupted on January 7th, the same day students were returning to campus from winter break. Sweeping across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties, more than 15,000 civilian homes were ravaged, and more than 180,000 people were ordered to evacuate during the most severe times of fire. The Palisades fire, one of the most destructive ones to date, burned more than 23,400 acres of land, approximately the scale of 156 Cate Schools. Chemicals from the ashy residue of burned homes and cars, scorched plastic pipes, and even lifesaving fire retardants have blanketed parts of the region. Beyond the loss of monetary objects, destruction of buildings, and physical injuries of the citizens, the chief casualty has been memories.
For instance, the Bunny Museum, co-founded by Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski was a heartbreaking loss to both the couple and Los Angeles itself. Housing more than 35,000 rabbit-related items across 16 galleries, the museum was named, "The Hoppiest Place in the World." When the Eaton fire swept through the county, the museum's building, original collection, and exhibits were burnt into ashes; the couple was helpless in the face of the unfolding tragedy, and years of memories were destroyed in an instant. The Bunny Museum was just one of the thousands of losses unfolding across the region, a multitude of priceless memories left to slowly fade from LA’s collective minds.
The impact of the fire, however, extends beyond the devastation of the LA landscape. Cate students across the greater LA region were forced to evacuate or listen to their families recount said evacuation from cars, shelters, and hotels, unsure if there would be a return. One such student was Colin Hendler ‘27, a longtime resident of the Palisades.
Colin recounted, “Everything two blocks north burnt down…it was my third place, my community outside of home and school, and you're so involved and deep into the space that, when you're checking the fire map, the fire’s near your house, and some of the fire itself is on your house, all you can think is, what is happening?” On the topic of memories, Colin particularized, “I knew I was safe, and my family knew I was safe, but I just wanted to be there; I'm a very physical person–to be able to see my sister standing there and know that she's okay, to walk around places that burnt down and understand…it’s hard to comprehend”.
Claire Tang’s ‘27 household was affected by the Kenneth Fire near West Hill. “One evening after sports,” Claire recalled, “I received a phone call from my mom. She was crying and informed me there was a fire. My brother said, ‘We might not have a house to go back to.’ It was really stressful.” Claire was helpless to the threat of the fire potentially destroying her house, burning away all of her memories. Electricity was completely shut down and not yet fully restored even after several weeks. Without electricity, Claire was unable to call her family members when they were at home, making her feel secluded from her community. Fortunately, Ms. Pierce, a member of the Cate faculty, generously provided temporary shelter for her household.
Soon, lots of students from the Cate community responded to the catastrophic news of the fire, in the name of the school’s motto, “Servons”. With the assistance of service organization Round Square, along with Colin’s eager personal support, musicians from the school organized a fundraiser performance in the Carpinteria Art Center. Participants in varying Cate ensembles ranged from Busking Club, an instrumental performance group, No Strings Attached, Cate’s highest-level vocal group, and independent performers such as Claire Ziebart ‘26 and Ben Elkin ‘27. Raising over $1000, the quick response showed the willingness of the Cate community to adhere to “Servons,” practicing what it preached. Quinn Vanasco ‘25, one of the performers and student organizers, explained, “It’s our duty to do something; to the LA residents going through the struggle of this dramatic experience, it’s nice to have something heartwarming so that people recognize their trouble and understand them.” In the future, Current Event Club heads, Quinn ‘25 and Nic Forry ‘25, are planning to organize a larger performance in Santa Barbara, hoping to spread the Cate community’s spirit of Servons in the form of music and performing arts to a wider audience.
One thousand dollars can be a fleeting sum to the entire LA community, but it matters. Colin puts it best. “Immediate relief, a pack of ramen, some water, a blanket, help for families who have nothing at the moment - a little goes a long way in an emergency,” the sophomore contributed. No matter how much, aid is always aid. Despite the swathe of memories consumed by an equally large swath of flame, the Cate community has shown that through the fire and the flames, it is willing to stand by its ideals and give back to the greater community that we all belong to. In Quinn’s own words, “It’s difficult to do good, but it’s good to be trying.”
