LA fire victim reveals heartbreaking reason he needed home rebuilt ‘at record speed’

Ted Koerner, whose home was reduced to ash in the 2025 wildfires, stands on the porch of his newly rebuilt home, alongside his dog Daisy Mae, in Altadena, Calif., Dec. 11, 2025 - (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Ted Koerner feared he might never see his treasured golden retriever, Daisy Mae, playing in his backyard, under the shade of his 175-year-old Heritage Oak, again.

A year ago, as the wind-swept Eaton Fire moved in, he fled with then 12-year-old Daisy Mae, grabbing a couple pairs of sweats, long-sleeved shirts, a pillow and two pictures of the dog.