LOST NATIVE AMERICAN JEWELRY IN THE ALTADENA FIRE FOUND AND RETURNED
Felisha called me and asked if I could help her find some sterling silver Native American jewelry that was lost when her house burned down in the Altadena fire. It was very important to her because her late mother had handed it down to her. I told her that it could have survived. I met her at the site as soon as the weather permitted on the first clear day. We’ve had a lot of rain lately. I shoveled and sifted after moving some debris and found all six of her silver bracelets and one of her silver chains. I also found a sterling silver pocket knife that belonged to her late father. The search on the other side of the fireplace was a different story. There were cat figurines and family china that were important to her but they were buried under plaster and chicken wire walls that had collapsed inward. I broke up the wall with a large crowbar and a shovel to expose the chicken wire. I used an electric cutting grinder to slice through the chicken wire then tossed 20 to 40 pound segments out of the way. I finally exposed some of the figurines, native American pottery and an old collectable tile. This was a labor intensive search. Digging for a couple of hours in a hazmat suit can feel like your in a sauna but the search was successful and Falisha was happy to be reunited with her prized possessions.
