A Legacy Lost in the Eaton Fire

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in our January 2026 print Special Edition on the Eaton Fire.

I was able to call myself a wife, mom, fire survivor, homeless, and a retiree all in one day.

By Carrie Meyers

I bought my home from my grandmother over 20 years ago. And worked at Steve’s Pets since I was 16 years old and later bought it in 2000, but the store had been in the community since 1971.

We all have our unique stories to tell about what happened during the fire, but what many people don’t know is what happens after the fire. Of course you have to find a place to live, clothes, and food. But that’s what everyone had to do that lost their homes, but I also lost my business. I have staff to worry about, but both my insurance broker’s and accountant’s places of business burned down and I was having trouble contacting them. All my financial information was on my computers which burned with the store.

But when it came to my family, my husband was angry and blamed himself for not staying and saving our home. Seeing a man cry is just another blow to your gut. The kids, my son Ethan, 22, is away at college in his final year, and my 17-year-old daughter Hannah is almost done with her senior year of high school. But I have to be strong and not break down like I need to because I can’t let my kids see me break, they need me right now.

After the fire, we stayed at my aunt’s house in Sun Valley for 7 months until we were finally able to find a rental closer to where our home used to be. Those seven months were the hardest of our lives.

Sun Valley is the city right outside of Burbank, which is where I grew up. So lucky for me, everything was very familiar, which helped my mental health tremendously. But during this time, everything was foggy. My mind just wasn’t quite clear. When we would go shopping for clothes, I would think, “Oh, I already have that at home,” but I don’t, not anymore. It’s crazy how, at moments, you have to snap your brain out of it and really focus on what comes next. But this brain fog also comes with fatigue. Sleeping all day but not fully falling asleep, not being able to focus on anything, watching TV, reading books, it’s like you’re just waiting for another day to start.

In the midst of all this, we are rebuilding starting in January. We got our permits on December 23rd. But for Steve’s Pets, we will not be reopening since we didn’t own the property.

Carrie Meyers is the owner of Steve’s Pets, a beloved pet store that tragically perished in the Eaton fire in Altadena.