Serenity House had just successfully filled all 18 of its beds when the Eaton fire erupted on January 7, 2025. As one of Los Angeles County’s only addiction treatment facilities specializing in serving transgender, gender nonconforming and intersex patients, the stakes of losing Serenity House to the wildfire were high. Miraculously, the building survived, even as clients and staff at two recovery sites next door were forced to evacuate — a fallen tree hit Start House, and the Art House burned down.
Residents at Serenity House attend daily facilitated group meetings to share stories about their addiction. For many, it’s an important part of the journey of acknowledging their past and moving forward. I sat down with six residents of Serenity House to discuss their accounts of surviving the Eaton fire and how the recovery center has become an essential safe harbor for their recovery.
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