> At a Glance
> – Margot Stueber expects to move back into her rebuilt Altadena home within weeks
> – Her 100-year-old cottage was the first property cleared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after the January 2025 Eaton Fire
> – The blaze killed 19 people and destroyed 9,400 structures, becoming California’s second-most destructive wildfire
> – Why it matters: Her story shows recovery is possible even after the state’s deadliest fires, offering hope to thousands still rebuilding
One year after the Eaton Fire leveled her 100-year-old cottage, Margot Stueber is weeks away from sleeping in her own bed again. Her rebuild is among the first to near completion in a region still scarred by California’s fifth-deadliest wildfire.
First in Line for a Fresh Start
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chose Stueber’s Altadena lot as the very first debris-clearing assignment. That head start let construction begin faster, though a few setbacks still nudged her timeline slightly.
- January 2025 – fire destroys cottage
- Early 2025 – lot cleared first among thousands
- January 2026 – final touches underway
Stueber credits determination for pushing past both financial hurdles and emotional trauma.
Margot Stueber reflected:
> “I knew I would be able to have a new life because a lot of people have not only to overcome all these hurdles, the financial ones and so on, they also have a lot of inner hurdles. There is trauma attached to losing everything in one night.”
Eaton Fire by the Numbers
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 19 |
| Structures lost | 9,400 |
| Acres burned | 14,000 |
| Start date | Jan. 7, 2025 |
| State ranking | 5th-deadliest, 2nd-most destructive |
Stueber, who could celebrate her 69th birthday in the new house next month, is an outlier in a county where thousands of foundations remain bare.
Key Takeaways
- Margot Stueber’s rebuild is weeks from completion
- Her property was the first cleared post-fire, giving her a time edge
- The Eaton Fire ranks among California’s worst, leveling 9,400 structures
- Recovery remains slow across the region, but her story signals progress
As crews add final touches, Stueber’s imminent return offers a rare success story amid one of California’s most devastating wildfire recoveries.
