Neighbors navigate devastating loss following 2025 wildfires
Two neighboring families in the Pacific Palisades share their experiences on their journey home.
What many of us don’t see as we watch tragedies unfold on the news are the thoughts going through the heads of people being evacuated from their homes; worrying about all they are leaving behind… and returning home to find their cherished memories gone.
That was the devastating reality of so many in Southern California in January 2025, when wildfires destroyed thousands of homes.
The Wiehl and Poulos families were among them – two neighbors who lost homes, memories and the foundation where they’d built their lives.
Now, both families are finding their way home.
“(It) was an experience that was overwhelming in every possible way,” the Wiehls wrote in a letter to State Farm®.
The Pouloses agreed in their letter sharing, “…we were not prepared for such a crisis and how we would be thrust into relationships with people at State Farm Insurance.”
For these two neighbors, the face of State Farm became Charles, an on-the-ground claims specialist who arrived in California in January 2025 and has been working there since.
“It was a little chaotic,” Charles said of his first impression after arriving in L.A. while fires were still burning. “We were supporting customers while also setting up the Catastrophe Care Center.”
Building relationships
It didn’t take long for Charles to start building relationships with these families.
“Over time, he became far more than just our claim specialist – he became a steady, trusted presence during one of the hardest chapters of our lives,” the Wiehls wrote. “It is not an exaggeration to say he felt like part of our family.”
According to Charles, building relationships includes starting with simply showing up for customers the way you’d want someone to show up for you. That means setting expectations early and staying consistent, doing what you say you’ll do, being upfront if something can’t be done and keeping the lines of communication open.
The Pouloses also appreciated Charles’s approach, writing, “There is no better way to deal with difficult issues than speaking directly.” They also highlighted the time Charles took to go through details of the policy and next steps.
That’s why he and others are in California – to support customers during their claims. Charles emphasized this story isn’t about him: “This is about the customers and helping them recover from the unexpected.”
Going home
The Poulos family worked with Charles throughout their recovery and are back home now. “We were one of the first homes in the Palisades to fully rebuild,” they said.
Eighteen months after the fires, Charles was able to attend the move-in event the Pouloses hosted with about 75-100 attendees. It was the celebration after a long road. “Everybody was excited to see them get moved back in. It was a great experience,” he said.
The Wiehls are not far behind. “We will forever be grateful to Charles for the role he played in helping our family rebuild,” they said.
Charles’ bio:
Charles joined State Farm in 2022 and took on a role deploying to catastrophes in 2024. He’s usually away from home for about 3 months, but in this case, Charles anticipates remaining in California through the rest of 2026, bringing his total deployment there to almost two years.
Charles is a University of Arkansas alum who came to State Farm from a “coaching, athletic and construction and firefighting background.” He draws on all aspects of his past experiences to help State Farm customers.
About State Farm:
For over 100 years, the mission of State Farm has been to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance combined in the United States. Its more than 19,200 agent offices and over 62,000 employees serve over 96 million policies and accounts – including auto, fire, life, health, commercial policies and financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 32 on the 2025 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.