Tales of Rescues and Losses: Classic Cars in L.A.'s Wildfires

 As wildfires bore down on Altadena, California, Hunt Turner and his wife rushed out of their home, their phones blaring evacuation alerts. With danger looming, Turner reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar metal key.

Hunt Turner holding his daughter in his Porsche

“Let’s get the Porsche,” he said, referring to the cherished 1964 Porsche 356 in their detached garage. The cherry-red classic had been in his family for generations, a treasured heirloom that he had once used to teach his daughters how to drive—stick shift and all.

But there was a problem. The power was out, and the garage door wouldn’t budge.

“We have to go,” he said. With no other choice, they climbed into their pickup truck and left the Porsche behind.

The wildfires that tore through Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and other parts of Los Angeles from January 7 claimed at least 29 lives and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and buildings. Among the devastation were countless irreplaceable belongings—photographs, artwork, family mementos—and an unknown number of vintage and exotic cars.

Now fully contained, the Palisades and Eaton fires have left a trail of destruction in one of the world’s most car-obsessed cities. In the days following the fires, haunting images of charred classic cars circulated online, their skeletal frames resting amid the ruins. Reports from collectors and insurance companies have begun to reveal the full scope of the losses.

Los Angeles, the heart of American car culture, is home to 1.3 million collector vehicles, according to Michigan-based insurer Hagerty.

“There are probably more Porsches per square inch in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Beverly Hills than anywhere else,” said Jay Leno, one of L.A.’s most famous car enthusiasts.

Leno’s own Burbank-based collection was spared, but he joined relief efforts, using his 1941 firetruck to serve barbecue to first responders. While visiting the Palisades, he came across the remains of a classic car collection, including what was once a 1940s Lincoln.

“People lost everything, so you don’t want to focus on the cars,” Leno said. “But seeing that—it hits home.”

For Turner, the Porsche held even greater meaning after his father, who had purchased it new in 1964 for $5,000, passed away earlier this year. Now insured for at least $120,000, the car was more than just a vehicle—it was a part of his family’s story. 

Hunt Turner as a senior in high school with the Porsche his father bought in 1964. Photo: Turner Family

Turner, 53, had been brought home from the hospital as a newborn in that Porsche, a tradition he later repeated with both of his daughters. Nearly 60 years and 293,000 miles later, it remained an integral part of their lives.

After spending a sleepless night at a friend’s house, Turner returned the next day. As fires still smoldered nearby, he ran to the garage, yanked the door up a few inches, and heaved until he could prop a ladder beneath it.

He slid into the driver’s seat, pressed the clutch to the floor, and turned the key.

The engine roared to life.

There’s no official count of how many classic cars were lost, but Hagerty has been processing a surge of claims from affected policyholders.

A local news crew documented the destruction of a car collection in Altadena, capturing the melted remains of a 1960s Lincoln Continental and a scorched DeSoto, among other classics.

For some, evacuation meant making agonizing choices.

Matt Dusig, a Pacific Palisades resident, had to pick between his two vintage BMWs when the fires threatened his home. He drove off in his 1973 BMW Alpina, a rare coupe he had bought for $250,000. Left behind was a silver 1974 BMW CS with its original red-leather interior.

Matt Dusig’s 1974 BMW CS burned in his garage, along with his home, in Pacific Palisades. Photo: Matt Dusig

When he returned, his home, garage, and the BMW CS had been reduced to ashes.

“It felt like choosing between my kids,” said Dusig, a 55-year-old photographer and former tech entrepreneur.

Others lost even more.

Jon Marashi’s Ferrari 458 Speciale was destroyed along with his Palisades home. Just days earlier, on New Year’s Eve, he had taken his teenage daughter on a drive up the coast to Malibu, letting her take the wheel for the first time. He had imagined passing it down to her someday.

Marashi and fellow enthusiasts often met at a local coffee shop on Sundays before heading out for a coastal drive. That coffee shop is now gone.

“It was more than just a routine—it was part of our community,” he said. “Now, everything has changed.”

As the fires spread, classic-car storage facilities across L.A. opened their doors to at-risk vehicles. Webb Farrer, who owns a facility near the Palisades, took in more than a dozen cars after offering free emergency storage on social media.

“Half my clients are from the Palisades,” he said. “I just wanted to help.”

For Turner, the moment he sped out of the garage with the Porsche was one he couldn’t wait to share. He even filmed a 17-second video to capture the moment.

“I knew everyone would be asking,” he said. “‘Did you save the Porsche?’”