Survivors remember objects lost and found after LA wildfires

One year on from the wildfires in Southern California, a reporting project allowed survivors to recall possessions they lost and those they were able to save.

This summer, eighteen high school students from in and around wildfire-ravaged communities in Southern California got an early taste of print, audio, and video journalism through a youth initiative out of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communication.

They gathered oral histories from fire survivors and chronicled their own experiences. One team asked people from the fire zones about objects lost and objects found.

Many people brought in objects they found on their burned lots that now serve as sources of memory. Samara Gottlieb introduced “Blue Bear,” a stuffed animal that her father, Johnathan, managed to save.

“I’ve had him since I was a baby and, like, he’s really special to me. So, I’m glad I have him,” Gottlieb said.

The students also interviewed Ashley Burkart, Ninkey Dalton-Eglee and Matt Mooney. They talked about family histories, artwork, and coffee mugs.

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