Pacific Clinics’ Head Start Comprehensive Services Manager Nina Paddock’s life changed instantly on a windy day in January. What began as a work call interrupted by a fallen tree quickly escalated into a nightmare: a fast-moving wildfire in Eaton Canyon forced her family to evacuate their home of 21 years. “We locked the doors thinking we’d be back in a couple of days,” Nina recalled. “We never imagined it would be gone.”
Her family, like thousands of others, faced the devastating reality of total loss. Their home and the memories etched into its walls vanished. Nina remembers thinking they’d return and find something, but nothing. Not one piece of anything. Even days after the fire, the rubber on her shoes melted when visiting the property. It was still that hot.
The impact of the fire deepened Nina’s emotional toll when she witnessed her teenage sons struggle with the trauma and disruption to their lives. The fire destroyed everything, including school supplies, computers and her son’s cherished baseball gear. And yet, amid the ash, there were glimmers of hope.
“Our community showed up. Neighbors, friends, my church and Pacific Clinics; they all wrapped us in support,” she said. Nina’s eldest son volunteered at a donation center just days after losing their home, saying, “I need to do something. It’s easier to be the helper than the one receiving help.”
As a longtime Head Start professional, Nina says the experience profoundly changed how she understands the families she serves. “It gave me new empathy. It’s hard to receive help. But support in those early days makes all the difference.”
Though her family is in the process of rebuilding, Nina knows the physical and emotional landscape will never be the same. “We can build a new house, but the spirit of our old home, the love in those walls, that’s something we carry with us.”
The community at large will feel the impact of the fires for years to come. Rebuilding lives, homes and communities takes time and continued support. As Nina says, “This isn’t over. There are gaps still to be filled; families are still in need. We can’t let them be forgotten.”
