Hollywood TV Writer Morenike Balogun Was Reeling From the Writers Strike. Then She Lost Her Home in the Palisades Fire.

by

During the 148-day writers’ strike of 2023, TV writer Morenike Balogun (known for ‘How to Get Away With Murder’ and ‘Blue Sky’), who doesn’t have a big studio deal, felt a significant impact.

Last year saw the passing of her grandmother, followed by her mother’s death five months ago. As the new year began, the Palisades Fire broke out, destroying over 23,000 acres in Los Angeles County, including Balogun’s dream house that she and her husband had been refurbishing.

Or, more concisely:

In the past year, Balogun lost both her grandmother and mother, followed by the devastating Palisades Fire that destroyed their renovated dream home in Los Angeles County.

As a devoted admirer, I meticulously set aside my hard-earned savings to make the dream of owning our ideal residence in our cherished location come true. Just as they say, “Buy the worst house on the block” and transform it, that’s exactly what we did. Our house was showing signs of wear, and my husband put in countless hours of dedicated work to bring it back to life. I also contributed significantly to its transformation, turning it into a peaceful sanctuary amidst the chaos of this bustling city.

Balogun points out that although The Palisades is known for being home to celebrities and affluent individuals, it also accommodates working-class residents and those who have inherited properties from their ancestors. He adds that this city is not exclusively for the wealthy; rather, it boasts a rich diversity and complexity, with numerous reasons behind why people choose to reside in The Palisades and Malibu.

Residing in the Palisades, Balogun, accompanied by her husband and their two children, have received evacuation notices on several occasions. However, this one seemed distinct, she explained. The sky took on an ominous, apocalyptic hue after warnings were issued, and the windows (which hadn’t been replaced during the renovation) started vibrating due to the strong gusts of wind. With a sense of urgency, Balogun began gathering her belongings for departure.

She mostly filled the car with items belonging to her kids, added a few things for her father, she mentions. Some of her own belongings were packed as well. Since she didn’t anticipate a fire at home, she didn’t gather all the essentials. Among the items she managed to save were her baby book and her mother’s scarf, which still held some of her mother’s hair.

Unfortunately, due to her father’s evacuation to a nursing facility prior to the fires spreading, she was unable to retrieve his sweaters. Her terminally ill father had been residing with them, and many of his cherished belongings, including items she had seen him wear throughout her life, were lost in the fire. “His writing,” she laments, “he’s a writer, and so much of his work perished in the flames. I could only save his most essential items, like his medication and things he needed for that day.”

Due to her father being evacuated to a nursing facility before the fires began, she couldn’t get hold of his sweaters. Her terminally ill father lived with them, and many sentimental items from his life, such as clothing she had seen him wear throughout hers, were destroyed in the fire. “His writing,” she laments, “he was a writer, and much of his work was lost in the flames. All I could save were his essentials, like his medication and things he required that day.

On the day they had to evacuate, she remembers a firefighter instructing her husband, Arno, to trim some bushes as a possible attempt to save their house. Consequently, her husband opted to remain while Balogun took the children away. “I sort of felt, with his adventurous German spirit, that he’d stick around,” she says, tinged with laughter. “It’s amusing, really, that the only other person who chose to battle the fire and stayed in her home was another German woman named Rosemary. So, it was these two Germans who decided to face the fire.

In the end, their spouse remained at home with the pet dog, battling the fires throughout the night, before informing Balogun that they had managed to preserve the house. Truth be told, following the strike, we’ve barely been clinging to that house by our fingertips, working tirelessly and doing whatever was necessary. We even needed to borrow money from family… it was all we possessed. Thus, I understand the intense desire he felt to save everything. Until I get reemployed again, that house represented all we had left.

Setting off to assure my neighbors’ homes were safe, I found myself returning an hour later to find their house ablaze. Firefighters valiantly fought the inferno that consumed their residence. Fortunately, just in the nick of time, firefighters who had arrived saw the dog trapped within and miraculously managed to rescue him before the tragedy worsened.

Balogun and her family temporarily relocated to a local hotel, shuttling between Redondo Beach and Westlake Village due to the fire that destroyed their home. As her father resides in a nursing facility in Ventura, Westlake Village offers them convenient access to him.

Despite successfully rescuing her mother’s scarf and baby book, there are irreplaceable items she can no longer reclaim, such as the antique vanity that once belonged to Balogun during childhood, adorned with cherished photos of his parents in their youth, himself as a child, and memories shared with friends.

Occasionally, I’d glance over the old family albums, finding it incredibly strange to compare the challenges faced by my parents as newcomers to this nation with the privileges I enjoy due to them. This comparison often puts things into perspective for me, and following the loss of my mother, it holds even more significance. While my sister has their photos, and my brother a few, those precious moments captured are mine alone – sadly, they’re no longer physical but etched in my memory instead.

She mentions her hope that they might be able to re-enter the area as they currently cannot, since she’s eager to check if anything remains intact, such as a laptop, and potentially a hard drive that could prove useful.

After overcoming the writers’ strike, she recalls a saying that she and her writing partners followed: “survive to 25.” This phrase, however, seems ominous in light of how 2025 has begun. To aid the industry in its recovery from not just the strikes but also the wildfires, Balogun advises film studios to resume productions in Los Angeles again.

As a local producer here in town, I can’t help but notice the shift in production overseas. It’s fantastic to see those places flourish with thriving studios, but I can’t shake off the concern that this has come at our expense. Of course, it’s enticing to capture authentic settings when shooting, and I get it, but it’s becoming increasingly challenging for them to guarantee local employment. Frankly, I doubt they can make that promise of job return. Governor Newsom recently extended a massive credit to try and draw jobs back, and I’m crossing my fingers it works. However, I believe the studios need to take a moment to reconsider and prioritize bringing as many jobs back as possible, given the vital role they play in our local crew and below-the-line workforce. Writing rooms being shipped overseas is also detrimental… I truly feel we should focus on keeping productions here in Los Angeles, as without it, I’m not sure how we can recover.

After the devastating fires, such as Eaton and Sunset, swept through the city, local and distant communities have been uniting to aid fire victims. This outpouring of help has been evident to Balogun and her family, even including a GoFundMe campaign established by their friends.

She expresses her gratitude towards the numerous individuals who have reached out to her, showing concern about her well-being and offering assistance. This act has left her feeling humbled, demonstrating the compassionate nature of their town. Although previous situations such as strikes may have seemed divisive, now it appears that everyone is uniting, crossing over former boundaries, creating a city that cherishes and supports each other. This unity can be applied to past conflicts like the strikes, even though they didn’t cause physical harm, as emotional scars persist. Currently, those who lost their income and livelihood due to the strikes are experiencing a double blow with the fires. This is incredibly devastating. Thus, she emphasizes the need for support, helping people get jobs and return to work, mirroring the way they provide donations and other forms of aid.

Read More

2025-01-16 03:55