Scraped!
The first major item in our rebuild process has been completed—Debris Removal.
What this means is the Army Corps of Engineers (or a private removal company if you have insurance) comes to the site of your house with a 30-ton excavator and a crew of half a dozen and basically scrapes the site clean, loads the debris onto trucks, and hauls it away.
We dug a little through the remains and came up with some pots and a colander … and the blasted remains of my old manual typewriter. These will become mementos for the future.
The emotion? We were with the Army Corps crew for three days. The guys are technically not in the army; they are independent contractors hired for the current catastrophe. We had been warned that they would come in and bulldoze everything, willy-nilly. But they turned out to be great guys. We made friends. We hung around. The crews are working, we learned, 12 hours a day, seven days a week … and there’s work work work still waiting to be done. It’s a bonanza for them.
The first day’s emotion was mainly amazement at how good these dudes were at their job. Just to get the HUGE equipment up our narrow road was incredible. The “chimney topple” was the big moment after that. Then the excavator’s huge steel jaws grabbed the ruins of my 2016 Kia Soul EV, lifted it, shook it like a doll to make all the crap fall out, then set it down gently to be hauled away to the dump.
The next day was when the emotion hit. It’s weird to see the place where you lived for thirty-one years scraped clean down to raw dirt. You did feel, I must say, the sense of a new beginning. We hope the hurdles to come won’t be too high.
I must take my hat off to our guys on site—RTS out of Bakersfield, Tetratech, ECC and the Army Corps. The scale of the fire calamity in L.A. is massive, yet these gentlemen and their cohorts from around the country have made a huge dent in clearing the ruins in just four months. The task is a long way from done, and another long, long way from being restored. But Step One is finally rolling.
The skyline of every street and driveway is silhouetted with the booms and scoops of John Deere, Volvo, Hitachi, Caterpillar, and Komatsu excavators. The shoulders of the highways are lined with haul trucks—independent operators—waiting to be called forward to get their loads. Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset Boulevard (I’m sure it’s the same across town in Altadena, our sister wreckage site) are still one-lane, passes required, with checkpoints manned by the Highway Patrol and the National Guard (almost as many women as men), in camo, with M-4 carbines on slings across their chests.
More to come as the next steps unfold. Thank you, everyone who has pitched in to help keep us afloat. We will never forget it!
DO THE WORK
Steve shows you the predictable Resistance points that every writer hits in a work-in-progress and then shows you how to deal with each one of these sticking points. This book shows you how to keep going with your work.
THE AUTHENTIC SWING
A short book about the writing of a first novel: for Steve, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Having failed with three earlier attempts at novels, here's how Steve finally succeeded.
NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T
Steve shares his "lessons learned" from the trenches of the five different writing careers—advertising, screenwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and self-help. This is tradecraft. An MFA in Writing in 197 pages.
TURNING PRO
Amateurs have amateur habits. Pros have pro habits. When we turn pro, we give up the comfortable life but we find our power. Steve answers the question, "How do we overcome Resistance?"
Steven, thank you for keeping us up-to-date on the process of restoring your home. In the midst of the calamity, you found a way to bring us into a slice of your uncomfortable experience.
God bless and Godspeed on the process to heal and rebuild the physical and spiritual facets of your life. It is an inspiration to watch you move forward and share it with us.
Yea, good ole Resistance just keeps on coming. All we need to do is model its total unconcern with anything but the pursuit of our art!
Things are moving. Life is moving. If we ever find it two times in a row at the same place, it’s probably embalmed life.
Everything on this planet was born out of dirt, like the remaining soil after debris removal. It may seem empty but it’s like a large womb.
There’s no way to escape fate. Yet there’s no way for fate to escape us.
So let us build on the plain, indifferent ground with our creating powers. We must find a way to know and thus control them.
We will always be more creative than a grain of sand, as long as we move.
You are inspiration. Thank you and blessings wished for the journey ahead.
I’m so glad things are finally moving forward even though seeing the bare earth where your home used to be sounds difficult as hell. Your words about the experience really moved me. Maybe when all of this settles in your soul there will be a memoir or novel as catharsis. Sending healing energy for both ground and soul!
Thank you for sharing about this new chapter!
Thanks for sharing such an emotional event.
Unfortunately, there are NO check points at all in Altadena, and theft and burglary have been rampant. Our lot was cleared weeks ago so at least we have nothing left on site for the thieves to take. Our house plans are with engineering. Next step, permitting. Here’s to our distant but shared journey. May there be smooth sailing going forward.
I can’t leave a “care” emoji here, but hang in there, Stephanie!
Mr. P,
You mentioned your manual typewriter above which caused me to wonder about the fate of some other things you’ve mentioned in your books such as the prayer that Mr. Rink typed out for you, your Largo name tag, and the note from Tom Guinzburg. My hope is that they, among other things, still exist. Best wishes on moving forward. Your books have been and continue to be invaluable to me. Thank you.
Thanks for that, Corey. Alas, those items were all lost. Thanks for remembering! You have read my books!
All my best,
Steve
Great tribute. At a new beginning and still taking the time to lift others up!
Thank you for reporting, and for sharing. Many are indeed with you, including at least one complete stranger. This is a post one can tell is written by a professional writer.
I am glad you could be on-site as people worked. I have personally been hoping the trees you and Diana love could may it through these next phases protected – from scraping (potential root damage) to all heavy equipment working close (soil compression, bark wounds, broken branches). I wish you blessings and grace through all of this.
Thanks for helping even complete strangers, Steven. I could say so much more…
Your perspective illuminates how wide-eyed you are experiencing survival. To me, it’s a gift that reflects your lessons on the resistance. Thank you.
Just a bystander here, to the finality of the scraping and the comments of others who know you better than I do. But I just wanted my presence recorded, and my awe at seeing your resiliance (and Diana’s).
RESISTANCE : RESILIANCE Hmmmm?
In awe of your resilience and courage. Thank you for these inspiring posts! Onward!!!
Reading the headline in my inbox, I thought this might be a rant about AI scraping your content.
Glad to know you will one day return to enjoying that beautiful view!
In his latest blog post, Steven Pressfield shares a poignant update on the debris removal process following the destruction of his home. He describes the emotional impact of seeing his property cleared, the professionalism of the cleanup crew, and the bittersweet discovery of salvaged items. The post reflects on loss, resilience, and the beginning of rebuilding.
collegewollege
A theme of “returning to a foundation.” Glad things are moving forward.
Something about that photography looks almost soothing. Fresh beginnings. Congratulations on getting through this with such grace!
Tessa, thank you for saying that–I felt a sad for what was. Perhaps we all need something to be scraped from time to time.
Thank you for responding! “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” –Viktor Frankl Not that it is easy, of course.
I love these updates so much! The blasted remains of your old manual typewriter; the skyline of every street and driveway silhouetted with the booms and scoops of John Deere, Volvo, Hitachi, Caterpillar, and Komatsu excavators.
I’m so sorry this happened, but so thankful for these exquisite portraits.
Do you find it easier as you age to process things AS you’re living them, not just in hindsight many years later? It seems that way!
I wish, Maureen!
Back to “from the ground up” with so many possibilities.
With every shared phrase we are keeping hope alive and sending positive vibes for you in your journey.
I was afraid the your used of the word “Scraped” was a misspelling of “scrapped” and you were going to quit your Wednesday emails. I’m glad you’re not
May you be blessed.
Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes.
A new beginning Steve.
A new beginning.
God Bless you Steve. May all unfold perfectly for your brand new life! We are with you all the way.
It’s amazing to see the loveliness of nature in the rolling hills beyond the scraped platform where a house used to be.
On a practical note, many are going to purchase modular homes rather than rebuild. In case you didn’t know.
Renita
My website is down and I may or may not set it up again.
The chimney would have done it for me.
Here’s to the new beginning. May the lemonade be to your perfect taste!
Steve, I too wish you and Diana Godspeed and God Bless … You are definitively an inspiration … I too still have my Underwood so I can relate to you and your Smith-Carona … Peace
What a powerful and emotional journey thank you for sharing this. It’s inspiring to see how strong and hopeful you remain through it all. Just like Zoro from One Piece, you’re pushing forward with determination no matter how tough the road gets. Wishing you strength and smoother days ahead!
What a beautiful site for new beginnings… Thank you for sharing (photo and your thoughts). I’ve lived my life in & around LA and these fires wrenched something in me that still aches.
Tessa Souter shared a quote in her reply above “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” –Viktor Frankl. Time to wonder about my response.
Thanks for the update. I like being part of the ‘come bsck’. I wish for you the kind of rain we get here in BC, Canada. Well, at least for a while.
Reading this gave me goosebumps. The mix of devastation and hope, the surreal sight of your home being scraped clean, and the quiet heroism of the cleanup crews—it’s deeply moving. It’s a reminder of how much strength and resilience is required to rebuild, not just homes but whole lives.
Your journey reminds me of the emotional depth we often try to capture when reviewing films about disaster and recovery. If anyone’s interested in stories of perseverance and redemption portrayed on screen, I share reflections and reviews on such themes at ssrmovies.media. Grateful for your words—wishing you continued strength in the rebuilding process!
Incredible journey heartbreaking yet hopeful. Huge respect to the crews and your strength through it all. Here’s to new beginnings rising from the ashes! 💪🔥
May you and Diana continue to be held by Life 🙏
Good to hear the process is moving along. A scraped site is a place with a future. Good luck, and enjoying the updates.
It’s great to hear that the debris removal phase is complete—such a crucial first step in the rebuilding process. Having seen similar recovery efforts while traveling across different regions, I truly admire the dedication of teams like the Army Corps of Engineers. For anyone navigating similar challenges while relocating or managing logistics, exploring Car Rental Companies in India or even coach rental India options can really help with transportation needs during times like these. Wishing you strength and steady progress as you move forward!
It’s both heartbreaking and inspiring to read about your experience during the debris removal phase. I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to see your home of 31 years scraped clean to the ground—but you capture it so vividly