On January 7, 2025, KNX News reporter Nataly Tavidian was reporting on the spreading devastation in Pacific Palisades, but she ended the day rushing to evacuate her own family home in Pasadena.
Tragically, her home was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
One year later, Nataly is launching a limited podcast series called "Rising from the Ashes,” where she tells her story of loss and recovery.
Episode 1: The Day the Fire Found Me
In the first episode of Rising from the Ashes, Nataly recounts the day Southern California’s wildfires stopped being a story she was covering - and became the one she was living.
Episode 2: The Morning After
Episode two picks up in the quiet aftermath of the fire, when the adrenaline fades and reality sets in. Nataly reflects on the moment she learned her family home was gone—a phone call from a close colleague/TV reporter who was reporting live from the property.
Episode 3: Family in the Aftermath
Episode three turns inward, focusing on family, memory, and the long road toward rebuilding. Through conversations with her mother at the property site, Nataly captures the emotional complexity of losing not just a house, but a home built over decades - and the life that existed inside it.
More episodes coming soon.
The City of Pasadena issued the following statement to KNX News after the first episodes of Rising from the Ashes published:
"We recognize that rebuilding is not an easy process. We do have a dedicated Planner for each rebuild site. If a staff person leaves people do not have to start over, we are able to get up to speed and are available to continue to work with applicants. We have a supervisor step in and review the case before it is reassigned so they can be available if an issue arises. Pasadena was the first in the Eaton Fire to issue the occupancy certificate and have the home ready to live in and this happened by Thanksgiving. There is a wide range of situations from rebuilding completed to others sites that have not submitted for permits. We remain committed to assisting each site. The City has a dedicated interdepartmental team reviewing the rebuild sites with expedited review times and next business day inspections.
To date, the Department has received a total of 81 fire related plan checks. 24 building permits have been issued. Eight more are approved and ready for building permit issuance and several homes are under construction. The Department created an online dashboard to track rebuilding applications. The status of each rebuild application is color-coded and reflected in the map with a description of the rebuild. The dashboard is available at: Pasadena’s Rebuild Permit Status Dashboard."
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