A year after the Altadena fires, Pete Villani still isn't home — and his story is one a lot of survivors aren't talking about openly enough.In this follow-up conversation, Pete gives us an unfiltered look at what life actually looks like more than a year after surviving the LA fires with his house still standing — and why that's both a relief and its own kind of nightmare. He walks us through the remediation process, what it feels like to watch strangers box up everything you own and haul it to a warehouse in Orange County, and why the smoke damage to his electronics and belongings turned out to be far worse than he ever expected.Pete also opens up about something many survivors are quietly dealing with but rarely say out loud: the mental health toll. The short fuse. The anger that came out of nowhere. The decision to finally start counseling, not because things got worse — but because enough time passed that the weight of it all started to settle in differently.On the practical side, Pete shares hard-won lessons about navigating insurance adjusters (he's on his fourth), understanding your loss of use coverage, finding your own rental before the process stalls, and why connecting with other survivors — on neighborhood forums, Facebook groups, and even people who went through fires years ago — has been one of the most valuable things he's done.If you're an LA fire survivor dealing with insurance claims, smoke damage remediation, or just trying to figure out your next step, this conversation was made for you.Drop your experience in the comments — what stage are you in, and what do you wish you'd known sooner?Chapters:(00:00) One Year After the Altadena Fires: Checking In With Pete(00:24) Inside the Remediation Process: Packing Up and Cleaning Everything(02:40) Smoke Damage Is Real: Electronics Failing and Hidden Losses(03:52) Health & Mental Aftermath: Lead Exposure, Anger, and Counseling(05:34) Insurance Clock Ticking: Loss of Use, Rent, and Contractor Hunt(07:44) Surviving House, New Headaches: Insurance Disputes and Ongoing Stress(08:47) Rebuilding Risks: Theft, Liability, and Securing the Property(10:57) Security After the Fire: Why We're Building a Locked Shed(11:19) Work, Family Stress, and Living Out of Suitcases(12:17) When Can We Move Back In? Timeline, Cleanup, and Repairs(13:05) Debris Removal Roadblocks: Ammo Next Door & Army Corps Delays(14:23) Insurance Reality Check: Adjusters, Fair Plan Warnings, and Fighting for Answers(17:51) Neighbors in the Same Boat: Community Help, Testing, and Shared Resources(19:57) What People Should Know: Stay Steadfast, Get Educated, Use Forums(22:07) Loss of Use & Rentals: Budget Limits, Finding Housing, and Avoiding Gouging(23:31) Final Advice & Thanks: Research Contractors and Protect Yourself
