Archive · 4 Jan 2026
Sunflowers Bloom on Burnt Los Angeles Fire Site
Missi Dowd-Figueroa lost her home in a big fire in Los Angeles.
She was very sad because she lost many important things, like family photos and her father's ashes.
To feel better, she decided to plant sunflowers and other flowers on the empty lot where her house used to be.
The flowers grew and made the place beautiful again.
She also saw butterflies and other small animals, which made her happy.
Now, she is building a new home on the same spot, and she feels hopeful again.
Missi Dowd-Figueroa lost her home in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Los Angeles, in January 2023.
She planted sunflowers and other flowers on the burnt site to cope with her grief.
The garden flourished with approximately 500 flowers, attracting butterflies and small animals.
Dowd-Figueroa received around $100,000 in donations to help build a new home on the site.
Construction on her new home began in late September 2023 and is expected to be completed by mid-June 2024.
- Who
- Missi Dowd-Figueroa, a registered nurse and mother of three
- What
- A wildfire destroyed her home, and she planted sunflowers on the burnt site
- When
- The fire occurred in January 2023, and construction on her new home began in late September 2023
- Where
- Altadena, a suburb of Los Angeles
- Why
- To heal from the loss of her home and bring life back to the barren property
- Location
- Altadena, Los Angeles
- Fire Name
- Eaton Fire
- Date of Fire
- January 2023
- Number of Flowers
- Approximately 500
- Donations Received
- $100,000
- Expected Completion of New Home
- Mid-June 2024