Tales of Rescues and Losses: Classic Cars in L.A.'s Wildfires
As wildfires bore down on Altadena, California, Hunt Turner and his wife rushed out of their home, their phones blaring evacuation alerts. With danger looming, Turner reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar metal key. Hunt Turner holding his daughter in his Porsche “Let’s get the Porsche,” he said, referring to the cherished 1964 Porsche 356 in their detached garage. The cherry-red classic had been in his family for generations, a treasured heirloom that he had once used to teach his daughters how to drive—stick shift and all. But there was a problem. The power was out, and the garage door wouldn’t budge. “We have to go,” he said. With no other choice, they climbed into their pickup truck and left the Porsche behind. The wildfires that tore through Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and other parts of Los Angeles from January 7 claimed at least 29 lives and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and buildings. Among the devastation were countless irreplaceable belongings—photographs, art...