Altadena teen faces devastating heartbreak after Eaton Fire: 'I miss my dog, my family, our lives'

ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- As the winds and wildfires die down in Los Angeles County, the stark reality of what was lost still ignites mental and emotional anguish. One family who planted their roots in Altadena 30 years ago may never get to return to the lives they built. Their youngest daughter describes the heavy burden she feels.

Remembering the howling winds sends 19-year-old Kiara Beltran straight back to the most haunting night of her life.

"I was so scared that night," she said. "And just seeing the fire getting closer and closer, we couldn't even sleep. But we were so tired."

Beltran, her parents, three sisters and fled her Altadena home with just the clothes they were wearing, along with her beloved German shepherd Loki.

"We evacuated at 2 in the morning, and we didn't pack. We did not get anything at all because we thought our house would be OK," Beltran said.

Strong winds appeared to be blowing ash from the Eaton Fire over communities near Sierra Madre, helicopter reporter Gabe Santos reported.

But it wasn't. They learned the next morning how the ferocious fires obliterated everything they had, everything they knew.

"It just makes me so upset that everyone has lost their homes. I've been so worried about everyone else," she said.

ABC7 met Beltran outside the retail store where she works -- a job that helped pay the rent.

Just like the ashes of her home, the fierce winds scattered her family. Beltran's parents were sheltering at the Pasadena Convention Center. She and her sisters packed into a relative's home and her pet Loki is at the Humane Society. The mental anguish is too much for Beltran, a Pasadena Community College student, to bear.

"I really do want to be back together as a whole, like the six of us. My sisters, my dog -- I really do miss my dog," Beltran said.

For now, Beltran and her family are relying on donated meals and shelter wherever it's available. Even through the kindness of charitable organizations like St. Francis High School and the World Central Kitchen, it still feels like a precarious existence.

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The aspiring artist despairs over her lost projects. Her parents' party supplies business, which they ran out of their home, and all their belongings are irretrievable. Adding to the loss: the family had no rental insurance.

She's grateful for everyone who's contributed to their GoFundMe, but she's wracked with worry,

"I'm just trying my best, working as much as I can. Everything just to support my family," Beltran said.

She prays they can rebuild their lives in the community they love so dearly.