Monique Marez – with daughters(from left) Malia, Alianna and Laila — stand in the charred rubble of their destroyed Pacific Palisades home on Feb. 2.Photo:Kyle Grillot
Kyle Grillot
Moments after Monique Marez spotted theblack, billowing plumes of smokefilling the horizon on the morning of Jan. 7 not far from the boutique where she works in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades neighborhood, she jumped in her car and started racing back to her home, normally just seven minutes away.
She didn’t get far before traffic on Sunset Boulevard ground to a halt and a police officershouted for her to runtoward the ocean.
All around,L.A. was burning.
“It was complete chaos,” recalls Monique, 43, who decided to take off on foot back to her neighborhood, determined to push through choking smoke and retrieve her two dogs and two cats from the home she shared with her daughters — twins Alianna and Laila, both 17, and Malia, 15 — who were at school.
By the time Monique reached her street, her neighbors’ homes were ablaze and she reluctantly turned back. Her four-bedroom rental house was reduced to ash.
“Every day I wake up hoping all this is a dream,” she says. “But I don’t care about the stuff. All I can think about is our dogs and cats. I feel so guilty.”
Yet despite losing so much, Monique (who shares her daughters with ex Aaron Marshall) and her kids know they are relatively lucky, with resources to face the struggle of rebuilding their lives.
“As bad as it is, there are people that are worse off,” says Alianna. Little sister Malia, who helped distribute aid to other victims, agrees: “Being there [for them] made everything feel different and made me forget my situation.”
In recent weeks PEOPLE followed the family’s journey toward a new normal.
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01of 10Surveying the DamageKyle GrillotMonique — at the entrance to a local trailhead near her destroyed home, on Jan. 25 — relived the day her family lost everything in the Jan. 7 fire. “It’s like this is a chapter in my life that I need to close, heal and then move on from,” she says.
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Monique — at the entrance to a local trailhead near her destroyed home, on Jan. 25 — relived the day her family lost everything in the Jan. 7 fire. “It’s like this is a chapter in my life that I need to close, heal and then move on from,” she says.
02of 10Sifting Through the RubbleKyle GrillotMonique and daughter Alianna looked through the remains of their kitchen on a Jan. 25 visit to their former home.
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Monique and daughter Alianna looked through the remains of their kitchen on a Jan. 25 visit to their former home.
03of 10Support from FriendsKyle GrillotThe family has received numerous cards of support from friends since the fire, including a reminder about resilience.
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The family has received numerous cards of support from friends since the fire, including a reminder about resilience.
04of 10A Lucky FindKyle GrillotMonique found her father’s wedding ring in the ashes of her destroyed home.
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Monique found her father’s wedding ring in the ashes of her destroyed home.
05of 10Tearful Thanks as Friends RallyKyle GrillotDonations soon began piling up at the home of a friend in L.A. where the family has been staying, and a fundraiser brought in thousands of dollars. “I have a really beautiful group [around me],” Monique (on Jan. 17) says.
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Donations soon began piling up at the home of a friend in L.A. where the family has been staying, and a fundraiser brought in thousands of dollars. “I have a really beautiful group [around me],” Monique (on Jan. 17) says.
06of 10Missing Their Beloved PetsKyle GrillotMalia (right, with Laila on Jan. 17) has been checking the websites of local animal shelters to see if anyone might have found their dogs — Cosmo and Gigi — and cats — Merlin and Sixx — who are believed to have died in the wildfires.
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Malia (right, with Laila on Jan. 17) has been checking the websites of local animal shelters to see if anyone might have found their dogs — Cosmo and Gigi — and cats — Merlin and Sixx — who are believed to have died in the wildfires.
07of 10Finding Comfort in New ClothesKyle GrillotMonique and her girls say they’re fortunate to be able to buy new items after losing their favorite things. Alianna (left) and Laila went to a store in Venice, Calif., on Jan. 18 while it was offering discounts and donations for fire victims. “I feel lucky to have a roof over my head,” says Alianna, “but I feel awful for the families who aren’t able to.
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Monique and her girls say they’re fortunate to be able to buy new items after losing their favorite things. Alianna (left) and Laila went to a store in Venice, Calif., on Jan. 18 while it was offering discounts and donations for fire victims. “I feel lucky to have a roof over my head,” says Alianna, “but I feel awful for the families who aren’t able to.
08of 10Extending a Helping HandKyle GrillotMonique (center) distributed toiletries to fire victims in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 25. “When you see so many people in need — it’s surreal,” she explains. “I’m so grateful for those who helped us that I had to give back.
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Monique (center) distributed toiletries to fire victims in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 25. “When you see so many people in need — it’s surreal,” she explains. “I’m so grateful for those who helped us that I had to give back.
09of 10Searching for a New HomeKyle GrillotMonique pored over listings of houses for rent in west L.A., but reports of price gouging and an increase in demand made it hard to find a home close her daughters' school in Santa Monica, Calif.
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Monique pored over listings of houses for rent in west L.A., but reports of price gouging and an increase in demand made it hard to find a home close her daughters' school in Santa Monica, Calif.
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source: people.com