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acific Palisades residents Anthony and Sue Marguleas lost their home in the L.A. fires after evacuating for what they thought would be a brief period. As a real estate agent, Anthony is now helping those displaced find temporary homes, despite receiving calls from people looking to buy burnt-down properties at low prices.

    The couple had lived on Kagawa Street since 1992 and felt safe in the "Alphabet Streets" area, which was considered fire-resistant due to its distance from brush areas. However, when a fire broke out in the Palisades Highlands on January 7, Sue received an alert during a dentist appointment, and they quickly realized their home was at risk.

    Initially expecting a brief evacuation, Anthony and Sue packed essential items and spent hours watching the news in Santa Monica. But as the fire spread into their area, they were unable to return home. By 8:00 p.m., their neighbor's smoke detector had gone off, and the couple realized their entire world was about to change.

    After 23 years of creating memories with their four children, Anthony and Sue lost their home without a goodbye. "It's the most surreal, saddest thing to watch your life in rubble," Sue said, recalling watching her house burn on NBC's broadcast.

    Anthony is now searching for a temporary residence, while also receiving messages from people seeking refuge. He has had 580 text messages and 400 emails in the past 36 hours, with some individuals offering to buy burnt-down properties at low prices. The fire's impact isn't limited to homeowners; it's also affecting businesses in the Pacific Palisades area.

    The Marguleases are heartbroken for their children, who have lost their childhood friends' homes and favorite places. Anthony feels horrible for workers who've lost their jobs due to the fire. For the family, saying goodbye to decades of memories is a hard pill to swallow. "It's not the house, it's the home," Sue said.

    The community is now scattered, and will be for quite some time. The Marguleases are determined to rebuild their community, with Anthony stating, "Our role is just to put as much as we can into rebuilding it." Sue adds, "Right now we're just peeling back the layers... it's going to be a long process. While these tragedies can bring out the worst in people, they can also bring out the best in humanity."