> At a Glance
> – Kevin Minds reclaimed his Pacific Palisades home exactly one year after staying behind to battle the 2024 Palisades wildfire.
> – The house his father built in 1970 survived, while every home across the street was lost.
> – Insurance-funded decontamination and fire-hardening upgrades let him move back in.
> – Why it matters: His story shows how residents can protect property and rebuild after California’s record 31-day fire siege.
One year after flames threatened to erase decades of family history, Kevin Minds is finally home. The Palisades resident who refused to evacuate during the January 7, 2024 wildfire has finished cleaning, repairing, and fortifying the house his father constructed over fifty years ago.
The Night He Stayed Behind
While his family fled the fast-moving blaze, Minds teamed up with a neighbor he had never met. Together they fought spot fires and protected multiple houses on their block. Every structure on the north side of the street burned; every structure on the south side-Minds’s side-survived.
Ash and soot still coated the interior once the flames passed. Lab tests later showed high concentrations of lead in the residue, forcing a full decontamination before any rebuilding could start.
Rebuilding Stronger
Minds used his insurance settlement to fund a top-to-bottom renovation focused on fire resilience:
- Stripped all lead-tainted surfaces
- Installed ember-resistant vents
- Added non-combustible exterior materials
- Upgraded to dual-pane tempered windows
“It’s been a journey, but I’ve got nothing but gratitude right now,” Minds told News Of Los Angeles after unlocking his front door for the first time since the disaster.
Key Takeaways
- The Palisades and Eaton wildfires raged for 31 days, destroying hundreds of structures across L.A. County.
- One determined resident can tip the balance between total loss and survival for an entire block.
- Insurance payouts can cover extensive decontamination when hazardous ash is present.
A year after the smoke first rose, Minds’s restored home stands as both a personal victory and a blueprint for neighbors still plotting their own comebacks.
