Margot Stueber’s property in Altadena was the first of thousands to be cleared of debris by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after the January 2025 Eaton Fire.
One year later, a handful of setbacks slightly delayed her timeline for rebuilding on the San Gabriel Valley property, but she expects to move back into a home on the property within weeks. NBCLA has followed the process for Steuber and her architect during the past 12 months as building plans moved from paper to reality.
Steuber was determined to rebuild after the 100-year-old Altadena cottage burned down.
“I knew I would be able to have a new life because a lot of people have not only to overcome all these hurdles, the financial ones and so on, they also have a lot of inner hurdles,” Steuber said. “There is trauma attached to losing everything in one night.”
Steuber expect to move back into a home on the property next month, possibly in time for her 69th birthday.
The Eaton Fire, which started Jan. 7, 2025, grew to 14,000 acres, leaving 19 people dead and destroying 9,400 structures. It is the fifth-deadliest and second-most destructive wildfire in California history.
Watch ‘Palisades and Eaton Fires: Devastation to Determination on NBC4 at 5:30 p.m.