I grew up in the Palisades and planned to raise my kids in the community I loved. Our house burned down and we don't know what's next.

Photos courtesy of Alisa Wolfson

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alisa Wolfson, a journalist who lived in the Pacific Palisades with her husband and two daughters, ages 7 and 10. They evacuated on January 7 and subsequently lost their home in the LA fires that swept through Southern California. The following has been edited for length and clarity.