MW 'The memories still exist, but the property does not': The Malibu home built by her late fiancé burned to the ground - but she's not ready to give up
By Quentin Fottrell
Amber Ugarte, a television producer and mother of a 7-year-old daughter, lost almost everything she owned in the Los Angeles-area fires
Tragedy, even one as apocalyptic as the California fires, is relative.
Amber Ugarte and her 7-year-old daughter escaped the Pacific Palisades fire on Jan. 7 with a suitcase full of clothes for each of them; paintings by her grandfather and grandmother; two original lithographs of Abraham Lincoln; her dog, Bailey Joy; and her cat, Snowy. They later received photo confirmation that the home burned down on Jan. 8.
Everything else is gone.
Their now-destroyed home, one of more than 12,000 structures destroyed in the Los Angeles-area wildfires that have raged for nearly a week, had been built by her late fiancé. Timothy Bailly, a local surfer and developer known as Timo, bought about an acre of land and began construction on his dream home in 1998. He died from a heart attack in 2019 at age 55.
"I was a single woman living with my daughter," Ugarte, who works as a producer for Disney Entertainment Television, said from her hotel room at the Palm Garden in Thousand Oaks. "Our house is where I became a mom, where I got engaged, where Anouk took her first steps."
The L.A. fires, at least six of which have inflicted varying degrees of damage on neighborhoods in the region, began on Jan. 7. They had killed at least 24 people as of Monday, and forced some 180,000 people to evacuate their homes.
The Pacific Palisades fire, which last week spread rapidly to Malibu, has ripped through nearly 24,000 acres and leveled 5,300 structures.
'Our house is where I became a mom, where I got engaged, where Anouk took her first steps.'Amber Ugarte
Ugarte's partner of two years, Tyler Heid, had proposed to her in her backyard a few weeks ago, and also presented Anouk with a ring and asked if she would be his daughter. They both said yes.
"The memories still exist," Ugarte says, "but the property does not."
On Sunday, she dropped Anouk at the child's grandparents' house in Ventura, and is planning a trip to Target to buy some clothes. There will be a FEMA application for disaster assistance. And she has already made inquiries with the city about how to access blueprints of the house.
For Anouk, for Timo and for her own future, Ugarte will use her insurance to rebuild. Her late fiancé showed no signs of ill health prior to his death. "Timo had a six-pack when he died of a heart attack," she says. "That's why he moved to Malibu. He's an avid surfer."
'There's a lot to be grateful for. Otherwise you will just drown in sorrow. That's why I look for the good.'Amber Ugarte
Once again, Ugarte is focusing on the future, one that despite everything is full of possibility. "You work, work, work and you need a break. But there's so much to do," Ugarte says. Her employer is helping her find temporary accommodations.
How is she so calm and optimistic about the future after what's happened? "I think it's because I'm a producer and I'm used to working through chaos. It's a high-stress and high-pressure job and it's all about organization. That, along with the years of therapy sessions I've gone through."
Ugarte reflected on people who may have survivor's guilt because their homes and lives remained untouched by the wildfires. "There's a lot to be grateful for. Otherwise, you will just drown in sorrow. That's why I look for the good," she said. "It's OK to feel sad and it's OK to feel happy too. It took me a long time to learn that after Timo died. It took me a long time to accept that I am allowed to be happy too."
Friends set up a GoFundMe account to help with her relocation expenses. "It's all unbelievable. It's insane," Ugarte said. "Everyone's generosity and donations and outpouring of love - that's what makes me cry the most."
"You forget when you're caught up in your own world how loved you are," she said. "It gives you faith in humanity again."
Related stories:
'How can you fit your life in a car?' As the California fires rage, Malibu business owners face a grim new reality
California wildfires highlight the fast pace of home building in fire-prone areas
Los Angeles wildfires death toll hits 24 as firefighters prepare for more high winds
-Quentin Fottrell
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January 14, 2025 05:17 ET (10:17 GMT)
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