Nearly 8,000 below-the-line Hollywood workers were in evacuation areas when wildfires swept through Los Angeles on 7 January, with over 300 losing their homes. The fires, fuelled by dry conditions and powerful winds, killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of structures, dealing a further blow to an industry already struggling from pandemic shutdowns, labour turmoil and technological upheaval.
Sandra French, 65, an assistant editor and media archivist, lost her beloved 1930s apartment in Altadena. When she returned, she found the building reduced to rubble and ash. The only surviving item was a pencil holder she bought in Italy in 2008, sticking up from the debris. She also lost irreplaceable family photos, her baby book and her late mother’s jewellery.
French had moved to Los Angeles in 1993 and to the Altadena apartment six years ago. She described the community as the best she had lived in, where everyone talks to everyone. On the day of the fires, she watched the winds pick up and followed reports of fires in Pacific Palisades. After the electricity went off at about 1.30pm, she saw the fire from her window at around 6.30pm, about 3 miles away. Assuming she would return in a few days, she took only clothes and toiletries, leaving her computer behind.
Driving through Altadena after the fire, French said it felt like a graveyard, with entire blocks wiped out. She expressed gratitude to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Motion Picture Editors Guild for their support. However, she noted that many workers were already struggling due to economic shocks, with some not having worked in a year or two. “It’s a gut punch because we’ve already lost our livelihoods,” she said.
French is now reconsidering her future after being laid off by Paramount Studios in 2022. She is staying in a hotel near the Hollywood Hills, facing the daunting task of recovery and rebuilding. “It’s overwhelming for me as a single person, so it would be harder for families,” she added.
