Volunteer masons, including Cliff Douglas, right, worked to preserve the tilework around the 1923 fireplace in Valerie Elachi's Altadena home, including some tiles from Pasadena ceramicist Ernest ...

The team of masons, covered in dust and sweat, had been working in the ruins of the Altadena house for hours when a shout echoed across the wreckage. Volunteer Devon Douglas emerged from a pit of ...