IBERIA PARISH (NEW IBERIA) — A native of New Iberia who fled his burning home in Altadena, California, describes the disaster as nothing short of a "fire hurricane."
Jake Viator, the 2005 valedictorian of New Iberia Senior High School (NISH), moved to California in 2009 to pursue a career as a sound engineer.
A former member of the Iberia Performing Arts League (IPAL) and an active participant in his community, Viator found himself in the midst of one of California’s most devastating wildfires, which has destroyed more than 40,000 acres and thousands of homes, including his own.
“I was obsessed about how this one cabinet door in my kitchen was going to open, and then, three hours later, it’s just… evaporated,” Viator said, reflecting on the suddenness of the destruction. “It just doesn’t exist anymore.”
Viator had been in the middle of renovating his Altadena home when the wildfire broke out. On the evening of the fire, he received a text from his wife, Melissa, asking about reports of a blaze in Eaton Canyon.
“I walked to the top of my driveway and saw just the biggest plume of black smoke I had ever seen,” he said. “The whole neighborhood was basically a tinderbox.”
With little time to spare, Viator grabbed a bag and his laptop and fled, leaving behind his home and the rest of his family's belongings.
Viator, who had been living in the home with his wife and their 2-year-old daughter, Camelia—whom the couple named after Camelia Boulevard in Lafayette—found comfort in knowing his family was safe in Arizona, where they had been staying during the renovation.
“It’s one of the things I’m most thankful for,” Viator said. “They didn’t have to experience the trauma of immediately having to leave your house with the clothes on your back.”
Though displaced, Viator remains focused on the future. He plans to return to Altadena with his family to rebuild their home and their lives.
“Every night, a friend calls me at 11 p.m. or 1 a.m., and just says, ‘Man, I’m thinking about how we can rebuild.’ It’s been really amazing to see the community come together,” Viator said.
For information on how to help those affected by the California wildfires, click this link: https://www.katc.com/news/local-news/in-your-parish/want-to-help-heres-where-to-donate-to-help-those-affected-by-the-wildfires
To help the Viator family in their recovery efforts, click this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-viator-familys-recovery-effort?attribution_id=sl:1f6afb79-5e03-41ba-934c-9c2becd7017e&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=sms
