Recovery in the Los Angeles area after the devastating wildfires earlier this year has been slow. Many of the affected areas still bear the scars of the fires. According to Cal Fire, the Eaton and Palisades fires rank among California’s most destructive wildfires, with the 2018 Camp Fire being the worst. Together, these two fires consumed over 37,000 acres and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. In response to the escalating wildfire risks, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to expedite assistance for wildfire prevention projects ahead of the peak season. This year, more than 58,000 acres have been burnt by 545 wildfires, as reported by Cal Fire.
Despite the loss of structures, there is a strong desire to preserve memories among the impacted individuals. Asher Bingham, an artist, is using her talent to create invaluable keepsakes for the victims. When her friend, Charlie Britz, urgently asked her to rescue her cats from her house in Altadena during the fires, Bingham sprang into action. Unfortunately, Britz’s house was lost in the blaze. To comfort her friend, Bingham drew a picture of Britz’s house from memory and gifted it to her.
Bingham’s gesture touched Britz deeply, as the drawing became the only tangible memory of her home left. Moved by the impact of her artwork, Bingham offered to create similar drawings for other wildfire victims. She shared her offer on social media and was flooded with requests. Each drawing, which takes between thirty minutes to an hour and a half to complete, is a heartfelt tribute to the lost homes and cherished memories. Despite not seeking payment for her work, the overwhelming demand prompted Bingham to seek assistance in fulfilling the requests.
“I was just watching the news when Asher appeared, so I decided to message her and say, ‘Hey, I don’t need a hand-drawn home, but I can draw homes,'” shared Carolyn Stich, one of the 17 artists nationwide contributing their talents. Hailing from Holland, Michigan, Stich expressed her joy in drawing these homes and their significance to people. Among the homes she drew was that of Melanie Goldberger, who resided in the Palisades for two decades. Reflecting on her time in the house where her daughter, Sydney, was born, Goldberger now proudly displays the drawing in their current rented home. Grateful for the heartfelt gesture from a stranger, Goldberger cherishes the keepsake. “We thought we’d have our home forever, but this will last a lifetime,” she remarked. Other headlines include Michigan swing voters’ regrets on supporting Trump, a judge’s ruling on the DOGE acquisition of the U.S. Institute of Peace, and Noor Abdalla’s thoughts on her husband Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest.
