Thank you for sharing I just saw Paul Zimmermans post. So heartbreaking!!

Kristine,

I think we must have posted at the same time, thanks for your concern it is such awful news. I actually tried to post this yesterday as well, but once I put the GoFundMe link in my topic, my post would dissappear…Houzz magic strikes again.

Geez. That is very sad.

That is so heartbreaking to hear! I am so very glad that they are both safe. I have been following the news as I was born in LA and we have friends & family members still in the area. What I am hearing from them is devastating.

Hoping that some of Tom's roses will return from the root but what is most important is that, they got out safe!

I am very sorry to read this sad news. It's bad enough to lose your home, but his personal rose garden is gone, too. He is my favorite US rose breeder by far, a very talented man. May Julia rise from the ashes. Diane

Oh no this is sad news indeed. I am fortunate to be in an area not impacted by the fires but know friends who are.

I am deeply sorry for everyone who has lost their homes. For those who have lived in their homes for decades, it’s especially heartbreaking.

Thank goodness he and his partner are ok. This brings home to me the reality of those fires. Very hard to lose your home and garden, especially when you have owned and lived in it for 40 years. But you're right, elena, there are many others who may not have lived there so long, or invested so much over the years, who are now homeless.

The LA fires sound like a real nightmare and my heart goes out to all that have been and are still being affected, including Tom Carruth. One can certainly appreciate that his humor is still intact in spite of his loss!

I've seen the fires on the news...terrifying. Incredibly sad. Was Paul Zimmerman's garden/house destroyed too?

Paul Z. hasn't lived in LA for several decades. He's in Campobello, South Carolina.

Ben, I've been wondering about Tom since the Eaton fire broke out, knowing he lives in Altadena. Such heartbreaking news. All of the fire news is beyond horrible, but having lived the first 32 years of my life in Pasadena, that one is particularly personal. Thanks for sharing the info and link.

What devastating news. My heart goes out to Tom and his partner during this unimaginable time. I’m relieved to hear they’re safe, but the loss of their home and neighborhood is heartbreaking.

While I don't know Tom personally, he is the creator of some of my most favorite roses. The world is a better place because of all the beauty and joy he has shared through his incredible work.

I’m happy to do my part to give back. I hope he’s able to create a new paradise for himself and those he loves, and I’ll be keeping him, his partner, and their community in my thoughts.

So sorry to hear such devasting news. Thank goodness that Tom and his partner are ok. The news coverage of these is just unbelievable. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragic event.

Thanks, Roseseek :)

@rosecanadian you're welcome!

And the time will come to rebuild, perhaps, on a community level, more fire-wisely this round. My condolences to those who are experiencing these huge losses.

I’m so sorry to hear this . I admired Tom from afar when I visited the Huntington , he was doing a social media video for the garden and it amazed me how many people came up to talk to him! I too wanted to shake his hand and thank him for his gorgeous roses . He seems like such a humble kind man , one you’d be so lucky to have as a neighbor or friend .

I wish for him the best .. I can’t even imagine how to begin picking up the pieces from this .

The amount of red tape to get anything done in California means it could be years before folks get a home back . Our next door neighbors home burned down and it really took 3 years to complete. Every step was such a process.

The Santa Ana winds combined with no rain for 8 months create an impossible situation with the global climate change and warm up.

I see why Ingrid and Lisa and other Californians have such a struggle.

Talent, Oregon had a fire sweep the town away 5 years ago and the wind was what made it an impossible situation.

I've heard that insurance companies aren't going to insure for flood or fire in certain areas. So people may want to rebuild elsewhere. :(

God bless, Tom Tom! Wishing him the best! I hope his insurance helps to rebuild a home in a safe area, soon. I saw a home near me have to rebuild within a year afterca fire. Praying for a speedy processing of his insurance.

As Sheila, Beth and I can attest to, it is a difficult and really long process that will take a decade or more. So much has to happen first and there are so many homes and buildings to deal with. My heart breaks for each family in crisis mode

Tragic events like this are becoming more common it seems. I pray for Mr. Carruth and all of those who have/ are suffering-and all of us.

Thanks for letting us know about the fund, Ben.

Thanks for posting about the fund! It is devastating news for Tom Carruth personally as well as the rose world in general to see so many roses lost so quickly. I am happy to help honor the joy his roses have given me by contributing in a small way toward some restoration of that beauty for him and his partner.

Cynthia

This rose opened up today perhaps in honor of Tom Carruth (Life of the Party aka Huntington's 100th):

Some good news, Tom and Rob have found a new place to live and start to rebuild. One of the greatest challenges of everyone displaced is that the market in SoCal is now supertight with so many looking for homes.

Kristine,

I didn’t know that you had previously lost a home to fire, how awful. Great to see you are so well settled now.

That is a very sad news. I wish Tom Carruth and the family are all right and his roses will recover later.

I have many a roses by him and I love them: Julia Child, perfume factory, Ebb Tide, Twilight Zone, etc. They have given me so much joy

Pray folks in the affected area are all well

I hope Tom Carruth is getting good financial advice. Using Go Fund Me money to buy a car replacement or help with home rebuilding, etc can decrease FEMA payments to a fire victim. Diane

I’m so glad to hear that Tom and Rob have found a place to land—it’s a small relief in such a tough situation. A friend of mine runs a pug rescue and has been searching for a new place for awhile since her landlord is selling. The LA market was already so tight, and now, with so many displaced families looking for housing, it’s making an already difficult situation nearly impossible.

What’s truly sickening is how some landlords are taking advantage by doubling or even tripling rent. I’ve seen homes that were $6,500/month at the end of December now listed for $15,000/month. It’s shocking and feels so predatory during a time when people are already vulnerable.

Sending Tom and Rob all the best as they rebuild their paradise.

I was out of town — in cold, rainy New Orleans — Thurs. 1/9 through the following Monday — but kept doom-checking for fire news the entire time. My SIL lived in the Palisades for years, raised her kids there — Pali High — and sold a few years ago. The whole street is said to be rubble now. My cousin lives in the neighborhood where the fire started — they evacuated but if the house survived, I don’t know.

Here in Santa Clarita, we had some apocalyptic winds but no fires this year, thank God. Our skies stayed clear, but in the San Fernando Valley it was smoky for days.

The county has taken a body blow and will be scarred for years. I love California despite all its flaws, but the place has been set back. A lot.

Also a fan - I'm so sorry to hear it.

Sylvia -- hope the Hughes Fire is not near you. These fires are just awful. I've been through my share in Santa Barbara -- even if you don't lose your home, you can lose your neighbors/friends, peace of mind, health. Stay safe, all. Thanks again, Ben, for posting the link.