FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — “All that work, it took a while, there was just a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into it,” said business owner Julia Cantu.
Fresno native Julia Cantu has been in the skincare industry for more than 20 years before she opened her Malibu storefront a little more than a year ago.
Her business is no longer recognizable after the Pacific Palisades fire tore through it.
“We watched the news that night and we were kind of concerned, worried but I was still very hopeful. We all went to bed. The morning, I had a text message from the management, and it was a picture of it in flames,” said Cantu.
Cantu said she wasn’t able to get to her business because firefighters had closed all the roads nearby.
Cantu’s early estimations put her loss between $25,000 to $40,000.
She said she is lost and unsure of what to do next. But recently, friends have stepped up, offering a glimmer of hope.
“I am absolutely utterly heartbroken for her and the new business that she was trying to build,” said Jen Kattleman.
Kattleman is a friend and longtime client of Cantu’s, posted onto social media to begin fundraising for Cantu.
“Because I know Julia and because she’s just an amazing human, I’d like to send love her way and once I hear back from her any kind of fundraising,” said Kattleman.
Cantu said the support means the world to her.
“It feels so nice to know that people are good, people are good, and they care,” said Cantu.
Cantu is on her way to Fresno to be with family.
She said she plans to focus on other areas of her business, like her homemade skincare line, as she tries to figure out what’s next.
Friends set up a gofundme page. To support Cantu’s business, click here.
