LOS ANGELES (KGTV) — Rupert Garcia visits the empty plot of land in Altadena where his house once stood, determined to rebuild.
"Somebody asked me, what are you doing here? Why do you keep coming back? Cus I don't want to forget how to get home," Garcia said.
For Garcia, this land represents more than just property – it's his family's legacy. Multiple generations of Garcias lived here before him, creating a deep connection to this place.
"It's almost a responsibility that I have as a Garcia to keep my name in Altadena," Garcia said.
In January, Garcia lost everything when a wildfire reduced his home to embers, destroying a lifetime of possessions and memories.
"I knew where every piece of paper was in my shelves. And that's what I can't get out of my head, because it all burned down," Garcia said.
The rebuilding process has been complicated by the high costs of construction materials – a challenge faced by victims of all natural disasters including tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
Building materials like lumber, aluminum, steel and plywood have all seen significant price increases. Los Angeles general contractor Mitra Khorramian says tariffs have caused about a 10 to 30% price increase in those materials, with fluctuations tied to White House policy decisions.
"When I write an estimate, it's usually: 'Okay, this is the price of this, this is the cost of that', now the cost of materials, I'm like 'I don't know'," Khorramian said.
The unpredictability extends beyond basic building materials. The Consumer Price Index for furniture shot up in March right after the trade war began, adding another layer of expense for disaster victims trying to fully restore their homes.
"There's a lot of money involved so to not be able to turn around to a client and say a concrete number, it doesn't make anybody feel good," Khorramian said.
Despite these challenges, Garcia remains resigned to the situation, focusing on what he can control.
"They're doing whatever they're doing and I just have to suck it up," Garcia said. "How much it's going to cost me, I can't control that."
For now, Garcia is taking the rebuilding process one step at a time, grounded in his certainty that Altadena will always be his home.
