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January 2025

Treasure Hunting in The Ashes

John Jackson was one of the first Villagers to take Wayne up on this generous offer.  The two men started their dig on Wednesday, January 29, exactly three weeks after the Eaton Fire consumed John’s home and many others in the community of Altadena.

Wayne was tapping into his amateur archeological leanings when he bought the hazmat suit and made this offer. He had a pitchfork and a shovel. This seemed like an adventure and a genuine offer of help to his fellow Villagers.

They dug for silver, tools, and a special Japanese knife that had been one of John’s prized possessions. It started out fine with a sense of adventure but, as time went on and not too much was salvaged, it became hard work with too little reward and too much sadness.

Their final decision was to just end the search and accept that there wasn’t much to salvage. John had already purchased a new Japanese knife. Perhaps this was a sign that he had already accepted that a new life was beginning.

As Wayne shared with me, “there are other Villagers who want me to help them and I will… but I won’t wear that awful respirator again!”  Wayne’s social work background makes him especially sensitive to people’s need to find their own way through the ashes and he is there to help. This is the spirit of the Village!

*To See More Experiences With The Fire, Click on #LAFires