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March 26, 2026 / 12:29 PM PDT / CBS LA
Helen Montanez visited the construction crew working on her Altadena home today, exchanging hugs and smiles with the City of Hope volunteers who gave some of their free time to help rebuild the property she had called home for 62 years.
"It's like a dream. And the thing is, they come and help from their heart. They're all so gracious and nice, you don't know what it does to me," Helen said, nearly in tears.
Helen Montanez visits with a City of Hope volunteer at her Altadena property. CBS LA
Helen raised six children in her Altadena home, saying it was a life centered on family and togetherness. She recalled the day it burned; she said she was 90 years old.
"It was a day when I was watching the Palisades Fire, and I said, 'Those poor people,' they were running and everything. Then that night I was home, and my daughter called and said, 'Mom, we have to go,' and I said, 'Go where?' We hadn't had an alert, and there was no smoke yet, and I just went back to bed," Helen said.
She said an hour later she heard her neighbors, opened her window and saw "everything was black outside." She evacuated to her daughter's house. The next morning, she discovered Altadena had gone up in flames, including her home.
Helen's son, Dan Montanez, recalled fond memories of his childhood home and said losing the family hub has been "like a nightmare."
"For us to come back to see the life coming back to Altadena and all the volunteers that have come to the home to make our dream come true, it's something I could have never imagined," he said.
The property rebuild is spearheaded by the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, and on Thursday, about 50 City of Hope volunteers lent a hand, and it's not just for Helen. Her daughter's family and granddaughter's family will also live on the property, as the Eaton Fire also destroyed their homes.
"For us, this was a no-brainer. Altadena is a community for us; it's where many of our patients live and many of our employees, and so we're here to serve," said City of Hope Vice President Dr. Loretta Erhunmwunsee.
Helen said the volunteers have touched her heart, and she is hoping they will stop by her new home during the holidays. "It will be a grand open house," she said.