When everything is lost, small things can mean a lot. For Jonathan Sims and Kyle Shire, one such thing is that Altadena’s Grocery Outlet is still there.
“Oh my God, oh my God,” Kyle laughs as we pass the store, noticing its cheerful mural that reads “Greetings from Altadena.” It’s a bright spot on a street filled with the remnants of burnt buildings. They soon share their grief over local favorites like a breakfast spot and a pizza place destroyed in the Eaton Fire. Yet, at that moment, the grocery store feels like a lifeline. “I’m really happy to see that grocery store,” Kyle says.
Shire and Sims are two of thousands affected by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, which began on January 7. Their rental home, where they lived for four years, was completely destroyed, along with most of their belongings.
Shire, who produces the web series Critical Role, managed to grab a few essentials and their four cats during the chaos. However, Sims, a former visual effects artist, forgot to ask him to bring a treasured family heirloom, a katana sword that once belonged to his grandfather, a U.S. Marine Corps major during World War II. Now, the couple is back to search through the wreckage for it.
Getting to their old neighborhood took about two hours. The National Guard and local deputies have blocked off evacuated areas in Altadena, including where they used to live. They needed help from journalists to get through the barriers and into the area.
As we traveled closer to the San Gabriel Mountains, the landscape shifted from remnants of destruction to an unsettling sight of leveled homes, covered in ash. The streets were mostly deserted, save for a few official vehicles. When they finally reach the hill overlooking downtown Los Angeles, they see the ruins of their home. Their mailbox, now just a small stump, is marked with a pink polka dot ribbon—the sign of complete destruction.
Their property is a pile of debris, with only bits of recognizable items scattered about. Sims begins to search through the rubble where the sword once stood. Armed with gloves and a hammer, he starts digging.
Sims quickly finds parts of the sword’s sheath. As he digs deeper, he uncovers a darkened piece of metal that resembles a blade. “Not the Arthurian ending I hoped,” he quips, referencing a famous sword from The Lord of the Rings. While the sword’s damage saddens him at first, he brightens as he realizes it’s largely intact, just warped. “This is a project,” he concludes.
The sword carries significant meaning for him, reminding him of his grandfather, a man he remembers fondly as “Colonel Bill.” Although Sims didn’t learn much about his grandfather’s past when he was alive, he later discovered stories of his heroism and community pillar status. Holding the sword, he reflects on how people can change, revealing hidden depths over time.
As they navigate their uncertain future, the couple is staying with family in San Diego. “We’re not thinking beyond the next 12 hours,” Sims admits. As a freelance worker, he’s attempting to stay busy amidst the chaos of losing his home.
Before the fires, Altadena was known as a community for entertainment workers, where many managed to buy homes. Historically, it had a significant Black population, which has now dwindled due to many factors, including the recent destruction. Sims expresses hope that the industry will find a better way forward, noting that their struggles aren’t just a passing phase but part of a new norm.
Despite being told that possessions are just “stuff,” Sims grieves the loss of his meaningful belongings, each one holding a special memory. Finding the sword gives him a sense of closure. “I wanted to take something from this house, something from my past,” he says, wanting to reclaim a part of his story.
Days later, Sims receives an unexpected letter from a family member. It describes the sword, revealing that the blade he found was not the one originally given to his grandfather. Instead, it was a different sword his grandfather traded for a more beautiful one. This new understanding adds layers to the family story, showing that even myths can be complicated and sometimes the truth is less grand. “But that’s okay,” he decides. “Myths are important,” and they guide us in our search for what matters.
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Altadena,Los Angeles Wildfires,THR Original Video,Wildfires
