The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the largest organization of Location Managers and Location Scouts in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. Their membership plays a vital role in the creativ
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52 • LMGI COMPASS | Spring 2025 Personally, I experienced the disaster from a unique vantage point, as a location professional and as a member of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team. The Eaton fire decimated Altadena, a community physically nestled against the San Gabriel Mountains, just northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. Altadena is an area of Los Angeles you've seen on screen a thousand times. Before the fires, it boasted a feast of architectural styles, from turn-of-the-century mansions and meticulously restored Craftsman homes to Spanish stucco bungalows and modern ranch houses. Its palm- lined streets were used in the original Beverly Hills 90210. The massive Queen Anne Victorian Rand McNally house, with its lavish "Turkish room," built with materials from the 1890s Chicago World's Fair, was featured in The Usual Suspects. From American Pie to This Is Us, The Mentalist, NCIS, Parks and Recreation, Entourage and Hacks, Altadena hosted filming on an almost-daily basis. Lured by the rustic charm of its neighborhoods and proximity to Hollywood, many location professionals moved into the area and adjacent communities. It's no wonder that in the wake of disaster, the location community came out in full force to help. Among the many traits that have always impressed me about my location colleagues are our resilience, our fortitude and the sense of stewardship that seems to be innate in most of us. Our actions in the face of "The Fires," as they've come to be known, were no exception. Even before the embers lost their glow, we were rallying; choosing to stand up, speak up, jump in, get technical and help those in need. I spoke with my friends and colleagues who were also moved to take action. In the face of the massive destruction around them, their "better angels" drove them to reach out and help others. CARLYN "CC" COUCH (BETTER THINGS, SONS OF ANARCHY, GREY'S ANATOMY) JN: Carlyn Couch has been a location manager for 25 years and lived in her Altadena home for 24 of those. She recounts the fateful night the Eaton fire raced through her neighborhood. CC: My house power was out. I was not yet cleared to drive after knee surgery, but I was charging my phone in the car when the radio news announced 100 miles per hour winds. "That's hurricane weather," I thought. I watched as neighbors packed their cars and left. My friends came and said, "We are taking you and the dog out to eat. Bring your stuff just in case." With just a few toiletries, gym stuff, my computer and my passport in hand, we left in two cars. When we made it to Pasadena, the next suburb over, the phone blew up with all the news. I had lived through fires in Eaton Canyon before, so I wasn't too concerned. After all, there were thousands of houses between the fire and my home. My friends were all calling me, telling me to get out and get a hotel room. Thank God they talked me into it. The next morning at 6 a.m., after hearing rumors in the restaurant and on the news that the fire was out of control, I was determined to get back to my house. I needed a few things, and most importantly, I had to turn off the gas. My only thought was that I had to get up there. I had no idea at that time my These are just a few of their stories, in their own words. Carlyn Couch Jill Naumann/LMGI