Former Chicago journalists Becky Schlikerman, Kim Janssen take legal action, lost Altadena home in Southern California wildfires
Share this @internewscast.com

CHICAGO (WLS) — It has been six months since the deadly Eaton and Palisades wildfires swept through Southern California, scorching thousands of acres and leveling entire neighborhoods. Dozens of people lost their lives.

Becky Schlikerman and Kim Janssen, former journalists from Chicago, managed to escape safely, but lost their cherished home. It was a 1950s original house located at the end of a cul-de-sac.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Just two or three days after it went up in flames, they began calling architects and lining up a team to rebuild their house in Altadena, California.

The couple said they have two years of insurance assistance, setting up a tight timeline.

Now, six months after the fire, the ABC7 I-Team has reconnected with Schlikerman and Janssen, who stated they are among numerous families pursuing legal action against the utility company.

READ MORE | 2 former Chicago journalists lose home in Los Angeles wildfires: ‘Fire lighting up the sky’

Walking through their now empty lot, the couple admitted it doesn’t look like much progress, but the clean slate follows countless hours of physical destruction coupled with waves of emotional strain.

“All of a sudden you add a second job basically of, you know, working to get your house rebuilt,” Schlikerman said.

It took almost no time at all for the Eaton fire to torch the home and the life Janssen and Schlickerman had created.

No question that if Edison had made the decision to turn the power off that morning after the system was showing signs of strain in the wind, that the Eaton Fire would have been avoided

“It changes you. It’s still changing now,” Janssen said.

When ABC7 last met the couple on January 12, they could only point to the few recognizable items left charred in the ashes. Their years of combined reporting experience helped them realize what was ahead.

“We kind of almost knew what you needed to do. Like we had experienced it through other people so many times, we sort of understood the steps that to take to move forward,” Schlikerman explained.

But in the throes of the permitting process, rebuilding is cumbersome, time consuming and expensive.

“We owe more on our mortgage than our land is likely worth. So we would be severely underwater if we wanted to sell this land and move on,” she said.

Janssen underscored the financial uncertainty.

“We’re bleeding money. Nobody can really say with accuracy how much anything is going to cost, because nobody knows there’s such a there’s going to be a real shortage of labor and materials,” he said.

RELATED | Signs of progress and recovery 6 months after devastating Los Angeles fires

Los Angeles County and many individual homeowners have filed lawsuits against Southern California Edison alleging the utility’s equipment sparked the deadly Eaton Canyon fire.

Attorney Doug Boxer is leading one of those lawsuits.

“No question that if Edison had made the decision to turn the power off that morning after the system was showing signs of strain in the wind, that the Eaton Fire would have been avoided,” Boxer said.

The utility removed chunks of a charred transmitting tower from the base of Eaton Canyon in early in May as part of its investigation.

Dave Eisenhauer of Southern California Edison said the utility is exploring every possibility into the cause of the Eaton Canyon fire. That investigation could take as long as 18 months.

“This is all part of an effort to get as much information as we can to have a thorough and transparent investigation into the cause of the Eaton Fire,” he said.

Cellphone and surveillance video captured flames below and around the transmitting tower as winds raged on January 7.

Schlikerman and Janssen recalled high winds that sent a tree crashing through their home hours before it was turned to ash. Now, as the former Chicagoans map out a new floorplan on freshly-raised and fenced-off property, a sign of natural hope has returned.

“Our bear came back,” said Schlikerman, referring to a neighborhood bear that was a frequent sight. In this case, it is a good news bear.

The couple is hoping their new foundation will be poured sometime this fall, when they’ll likely be among the first people back in their neighborhood.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Body found in Turks and Caicos amid search for missing NYC man Brian Tarrence

Body Discovered in Turks and Caicos During Search for Missing New York Resident, Brian Tarrence

Authorities in Turks and Caicos are investigating whether a decomposed body discovered…
Trump Slaps New Reciprocal Tariffs on Imports From Japan, South Korea, Gives Both Countries a Deadline

Trump Imposes New Reciprocal Tariffs on Japanese and South Korean Imports, Sets Deadline for Compliance

President Donald Trump on Monday announced his administration will impose “reciprocal” 25…
University of Alabama student 1 of 2 killed in Florida crash over Fourth of July weekend

University of Alabama Student Among Two Fatalities in Florida Crash During Fourth of July Weekend

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Two people from Alabama died in a wreck…
Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupts, sending ash 11 miles high

Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki Volcano Erupts, Sending Ash 11 Miles into the Sky

Indonesia’s rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted Monday, sending a column of…
Grayscale satellite image of a UFO.

Mysterious UFOs Spotted Moving in Zig-Zag Patterns: 66 New Sightings Reported in Just Six Months in US State

UNNERVING reports of fast-moving orbs, silent triangles, and darting disks have flooded…
Clovis woman Alyssa Kincaid battles stage 4 lymphoma cancer after symptoms while five months pregnant in California

Clovis Resident Alyssa Kincaid Faces Stage 4 Lymphoma During Pregnancy

CLOVIS, Calif. — A Clovis woman is facing a life-threatening diagnosis while…
Whitney Purvis arrested: '16 and Pregnant' star charged with involuntary manslaughter

’16 and Pregnant’ Star Whitney Purvis Arrested for Involuntary Manslaughter

The former reality TV star’s arrest is linked to a man’s fatal…
Man killed after opening fire at US Border Patrol facility in Texas

Shooter shot dead at Texas Border Patrol station

One officer was injured in the shooting but it’s unclear if they…
Alaska Man Monday - Moose Births, Martial Arts, and a New Shootin' Iron

Alaska Man Monday – Who Can Resist a Good Parade?

I mean, what the heck, California! Can’t you keep your problem children…
Texas officials scrapped ‘Flash Flood Alley’ warning system before 27 killed at Camp Mystic -- because it was too expensive

Texas Officials Discarded ‘Flash Flood Alley’ Warning System Due to Costs, Prior to Deadly Incident at Camp Mystic

Officials in Kerr County, Texas — where 27 campers and counselors at…
Over 60 UFO sightings reported whizzing across state in first half of 2025, national tracking group says

More Than 60 UFO Sightings Reported Across State in Early 2025, Says National Tracking Group

New York state has documented 66 Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings in…
Security camera footage of a nighttime shooting.

Disturbing Incident: Three Dead, Ten Injured in Random Shooting Caught on Ring Camera

THIS is the terrifying moment gunmen opened fire in a Philadelphia neighbourhood…