Retired Altadena Couple Break Ground on New Home After Losing Everything in Wildfire

When Manuel and Emma Alvarado fled their Altadena, CA, home in the midst of the January 2025 Eaton fire, Manuel wasn't able to grab much besides his acoustic guitar.The fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 buildings, left a path of devastation through their neighborhood.The retired truck driver and his 87-year-old wife had lived in their Taos Road home for more than 50 years, after purchasing it for $23,000 in 1973. When Manuel returned days later, the home where they had raised five children had been reduced to rubble and ashes. But Manuel had his guitar. Standing on the spot that had once been his living room, the 88-year-old serenaded his wife of 65 years with the John Denver classic "Take Me Home, Country Roads," slightly altering the words."Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong, Altadena, mountain mama, take me home," he sang during an interview with Kalina Silverman on her Instagram page Big Talk.Loading...Manuel Alvarado, 88, sits with his guitar after playing a song for his wife, Emma, on the lot where their 52-year family home burned in the Eaton fire. They attended a groundbreaking ceremony for their new rebuild on Aug. 18, 2026, in Alta...