Zohreen Shah, an ABC news reporter has disclosed that her “dream home” was reduced to rubble following the horrific Los Angeles fires ravaging the city.
The LA-based correspondent, Zohreen Shah spent just one night in the new “magical” home with her husband before the devastating Palisades Fire charred every inch of the picturesque pad.
“I lost my home in the fires. It’s a total loss,” Shah wrote on Instagram alongside images of the damage as well as snaps of the home in better times.
Shah and her husband, Rishi, closed on the property less than a month ago and were in the process of moving in when the fires hit last week.
“Over and over, I told Rishi I couldn’t believe this sanctuary was ours. We spent one night there. Just one,” she wrote, adding that they took six years to find the “perfect” property.
“It was magical. We dreamed of retiring in that same home. Just five minutes from PCH, yet it felt like another planet.”
Shah said the purchase was made even more special because her parents had never owned a home.
Shah also revealed the intimate access to California’s wildlife just steps away from her backyard.
“Deer walked up to the home, the birds sounded like a tropical island, and the ocean view was the California dream,” she wrote.
“We had peach, nectarine, lemon, and avocado trees — and a small enclosure for lettuce and strawberries, safe from wildlife.”
“But it was more than all that. It was the culmination of Rishi’s six-year search for the perfect coastal home. He found it in November and we closed on Xmas Eve,” she added.
“I cook most meals at home, I haven’t had kids yet, and I don’t travel for fun. Because of this, over years, I saved enough for 20% of our down payment,” she went on.
“I was so proud. And then — just like that — after years of working and saving, it was gone.”
“I have to be honest. As much as I’m determined to rebuild with Rishi, we are also so damn sad. I know we are very lucky — we are safe,” she wrote, adding that she’s still “scared” that the fires aren’t completely contained.
“I’m determined to find answers. This journey is personal. I hope when people see me on TV or TikTok, they know they’re watching someone who saw her dream home turn to rubble and is fighting to build it back again,” she concluded her post.
As of Wednesday, the Pacific Palisades Fire has burned more than 23,700 acres of land, and is just 18% contained, according to Cal Fire.
