Amid wildfire grief, an LA-area resident sowed sunflowers and hope where her home once stood
January 3, 2026
Missi Dowd-Figueroa has brought life back to her fire-ravaged plot in Altadena by planting sunflowers. She lost her 1898 farm-style house in the Eaton Fire last January, one of two deadly wildfires in Los Angeles. A year later, many are still grappling with grief, and few have been able to rebuild. Dowd-Figueroa, a registered nurse and mother of three, decided to stay and heal by turning her barren property into a flourishing garden. Construction on her new home began in late September, lifting her spirits and giving her hope for the future.