While Gayle Nicholls-Ali and Rasheed Ali were celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary with a milestone trip to the Bahamas, they didn’t anticipate becoming one of the many families affected by the Eaton fire in Los Angeles on Jan. 7.
‘We lost everything’
The couple may have been miles away from home, but they often relied on their two sons as well as their neighbors for updates on their Altadena home. Gayle and Rasheed thought everything was fine, considering the news updates and how the fire had moved away from their home. However, the Ali family later received unsettling news about the fire spreading over 10,000 acres.
I know money will help but this part just fucking sucks, man.
“My parents, Gayle Nicholls-Ali and Rasheed Ali, lost everything and were not able to retrieve any valuables or mementos.”https://t.co/CyeekiLhBp
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) January 10, 2025
When a neighbor shared a photo as an update on Gayle and Rasheed‘s home, all that remained were the ashes of what used to be the house where they raised their sons, Kareem, 36, and Rohan, 34, for over 30 years. In an exclusive interview with People, Gayle shared how she felt after receiving the news.
“I just screamed,” Gayle told People. “We lost everything.”
I met Ms. G — Rohan’s mom, Gayle Nicholls-ali, a world-class teacher, and sharp, kind, inspiring woman — years ago, before I met him. No surprise he turned out to be one of the gentlest souls I’ve known. Such a terrible situation for so many awesome people. ❤️ https://t.co/JqGpqVVVmn
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) January 10, 2025
The family spent years collecting items and building their home
Gayle also spoke about her youngest son feeling devastated after the home he grew up in and the memories he shared with his family were gone.
“We were on FaceTime with my younger son, and he was crying, almost inconsolable because this is his parent’s house, our first house,” Gayle said.
The family lost everything in the fire, including their cars, irreplaceable sentimental items, and personal belongings such as Rasheed’s music studio, the audiobook he was working on, and Gayle’s artwork, which she had created as a retired teacher and photographer.
“We’re not rich people,” Gayle said. “We spent years accumulating these tools and accumulating this art, and for it to be in ash just is devastating.”
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After retiring from La Cañada High School, where she taught for 17 years, Gayle had her life planned out. But now, as she navigates insurance claims, itemizes their belongings, and works to rebuild their home, her future looks far different than she had envisioned.
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The couple have both launched separate GoFundMe campaigns, raising over $144,000 as of Friday. The high school also shared a link on its website to help Gayle and 26 other teachers affected by the fires.
Gayle and her family have received an outpouring of love and support from their communities, something she is deeply grateful for during these challenging times.
“It makes me cry at night. I get emotional about it because I taught for so long, and, when you’re going through the motions of teaching, you don’t realize what impact you’re making on people, not just the teaching part,” Gayle said. “I delivered a great lesson, but that you’re impacting people’s lives, maybe changing the way that they see things, maybe making them kinder, maybe making them more aware.”
