On the Ground in LA:

Rebuilding After the Fires

How do you rebuild after historic wildfires tear through your community and uproot your life?

On the Ground in LA: Rebuilding After the Fires is a powerful video miniseries that goes beyond headlines to follow the people on the ground leading LA County’s recovery. These videos highlight the critical work of union labor, public officials, and local communities rebuilding hope, one job site at a time. From hazmat cleanup crews tackling toxic debris, union workers and contractors laying the foundation for safer communities, and local legislators coordinating the comeback, each episode offers an unfiltered look at the challenges, grit, and solidarity driving the rebuilding of LA County.

Rebuild SoCal Partnership is the presenting sponsor for the LA Times’ newest podcast, Rebuilding Los Angeles. Our mini-series videos are included at the end of every episode. You can watch and listen to the powerful stories on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Episode 3: With My Own Hands

This video follows Carpenter’s Union member Sergio Lambert as he recounts the night his house burned in the Altadena fire and how he is committed to rebuilding that childhood home with his own hands and the skills he has learned as a member of Local 661. The video was shot at Sergio’s home in Altadena as Sergio, his young son, and his mother, Dollis, walked through the ashes and talked about what they had lost. Sergio points to the 1400 square foot ADU he built with his own hands and how he will rebuild another one as soon as he can. Other filming locations were the Carpenters Training Center in Sylmar where Sergio met with apprentices and an interview with Josh Raper, Regional Manager of the Western States Council of Carpenters. Raper recounts how Carpenters locals from around the country came to the aid of fire victims – both members and non-members. Sergio, who was previously incarcerated and was given a second chance by the Carpenters Union, ends the video by talking about his commitment to his parents to rebuild.

Episode 2: The Art of Rebuilding

Operating Engineers Local 12 member Michael Reilly and his wife, Coleen Sterritt, lost their home during the Altadena fire. Sterritt, a well-known sculptor, lost years of artwork as well. We visit Michael and Coleen at their property that burned down and talk to them about what they lost and how they plan to rebuild. Like many of their neighbors, they were not told to evacuate the night of the fire. They made it out of their home not long before the fire swept through their neighborhood. As we follow the scraping process, Michael talks about how he wants to preserve the hardscape around the home. He also talks about how the Operating Engineers Apprenticeship program started him on a career that taught him about the beauty of what operators build. Michael and Coleen also established a relationship with John Renner, the Operator who was working at their site, and made a special request for his services. Local 12 Business Manager David Sikorski visits the site and talks about how the Operating Engineers are “in this for the long haul,” by helping their members who lost homes and the broader community. This is a video about art and the art of rebuilding.

Episode 1: Rebuilding Lives – Rebuilding Altadena:

This video follows the story of Sandra Molina, a single mother of three children who turned her life around through the help of the Laborers Union. She rebuilt her life and is now helping to rebuild Altadena as a Hazmat worker. Sandra enrolled as a Laborers Apprentice and took the Laborers Hazmat training course before being dispatched to a job with Anvil Builders. She works from 6 AM to 6 PM, often 7 days a week. We met Sandra at her home at 4 AM, where she prepared for work and kissed her young children goodbye. We followed her to work to get a sense of her responsibilities leading a Hazmat crew as they moved from property to property. We also captured the visit of Laborers District Council leader Jon Preciado to the Altadena site, where Sandra and other Laborers were working. Preciado pointed out that these workers are building careers and rebuilding a community. We followed Sandra back home after work and talked to her young daughter, Abigail, who knows how hard her mother works to give her children a better life.