Hell Angeles - Chapter 8

Every story needs a mystery box. Long before the Pacific Palisades fire ignited his zip code, American filmmaker J.J. Abrams made the concept famous. “If you show the audience a box, they’ll want to know what’s in it.” What we know on Wednesday January 8 at 3:54 pm is that finally this story has a mystery box. As flames are ripping east on Sunset Boulevard, Josh asks a question.

Does anyone know if Bank of America in middle of town burned down?

Silence. A photo is posted. The second biggest bank in America by market capitalization looks bombed.[1] Blasted. Blowtorched out of existence. The part remaining, as if by irony, is the BANK OF AMERICA sign with the red and blue diamond insignia. Below the familiar icon are two side-by-side ATMs whose interiors have exploded. The ATMs are fun to look at. If you lined up washing machines side by side and put a Molotov cocktail inside each, that’s what these ATMs look like.

Wow

I wonder if all the safety deposit boxes melted

Mark that moment.

Mark it…

There’s our mystery box moment.

Patrick posts a video that is 2 minutes 29 seconds of footage. He is driving east on Sunset through the center of Pacific Palisades, and the place looks like a war memorial in the making. Storefronts are burning. Whatever isn’t torched is being torched. He takes a right turn at a stoplight and loops around the block as if he’s headed to Gelson’s or Regal Cleaners or Toppings Frozen Yogurt. He goes around another block. Literally dozens (hundreds?) of storefronts are compromised. By compromised, I mean, incinerating before our eyes. Spitting ash and ember. Crackling. Exploding. It’s quite a thing to see the center of town like this with no nuclear accident to point to. Patrick could name this video anything.

He names it: B of A is gone

Immediately Carole writes back.

My safe deposit box!

Heartbreak emoji.

Carly:

exactly- my safe deposit box

Until now, curiosity has not been part of our story. Hope and despair, yes, fear and panic, yes, grief, terror, moments of delusion followed by hallucinatory calm followed by heavy caffeine and heart palpitations leading to the normal return of shock, anxiety and disgust. All of this, yes. But not curiosity. Since January 7 at approximately 10:30 am, I have not felt curious about why people are upset about this fire. I basically know what people keep in their house and why they don’t want those things incinerated. Ovens, couches, clothes, art, power tools, pet supplies. Old photographs that mean more than the ones on their smartphone. To the contrary, I don’t know what they keep in their safety deposit box at their local, physical bank branch.

Gillian:

Does anyone know if Chase Bank or Wells Fargo are still standing?

Chantal:

looks like the Chase bank is on fire in heathers video

Jill:

Anyone know about safety deposit boxes at Wells Fargo?

Dozens more come forward. And let’s get something out of the way. My astonishment. Before January 7, 2025, if you’d asked me how many residents of the Pacific Palisades keep safety deposit boxes, I’m not sure what my answer would have been. Not many? The same number of people who go to the American Express office to purchase travelers checks before they travel to Italy or Mexico? I thought these things were obsolete. You say the words “local physical bank branch” and my brain immediately goes to the statistic: 92% of money—all money—is digital and not physical. Pixels. Not paper. Entries in computer bases. This is what America makes. Entries in computer bases for the rest of the world to buy. There’s almost no reason to visit a physical bank branch ever. Except clearly, all these people do:

Josh:

Hi all. Have seen requests/asks about safety deposit boxes and banks. Mixed reporting about how fireproof they are.

Wondering about US Bank. Saw it standing on video posted here yesterday at 5pm, but hearing it may have been lost last night. Any intel?

Bita:

Also safety deposit box of BofA on sunset? Any news on that

Amanda:

same question, would be great to have any insight as to if safety deposit boxes made it at BofA

Now I’m racking my brain for the last time I thought about a safety deposit box. No specific memories. Only general fuzz. Summer. Childhood. A kitchen phone with a ten-foot cord. My grandmother moving around holding her coin purse and car keys. She interrupts the PBS show I’m watching because we need to run errands. First the post office then the bank. Boredom, tedium. A bowl of orange lollypops. I’d rather be anywhere but here. I go for another lollypop while she waits for a bank teller with clean hair to finish up with the other person. Can this honestly be the last time I saw a safety deposit box? 

Nima:

Does anybody know if the bank safe deposit boxes are fireproof?

Sam:

They are, at least that’s the standard

Maria:

A banker told me its design to resist heat but eventually it might melt

Wait. Hang on. Jason Bourne springs to mind. The Bourne Identity. The scene at the start of the 2002 movie (taken from the Robert Ludlum book written in 1980) where Jason Bourne wakes up on a park bench in Zurich. He doesn’t know who he is. The cops are speaking to him in German and suddenly, without knowing how, he responds in perfect German. They continue to harass him, poking him with a stick until Bourne flies into motion. Fluid attack. Heel of his hand flies into cop number one’s throat. He’s throwing jackhammer punches at cop number two. Slamming heads. Both Swiss policemen are spraying blood, writhing on the ground near his feet, half unconscious. Where now does Jason Bourne make his escape? Gemeinschaft Bank.

An uptight Swiss banker recognizes him as an important customer. Jason Bourne is bio-scanned and escorted into a bank vault where he peers into his safety deposit box, knowing, feeling, that his search for himself is about begin. The story of Jason Bourne, the man who inspired real life Bowe Bergdahl a former United States Army Soldier to go renegading from his post (against orders) to fight the Taliban alone and was subsequently captured and held hostage for five years—all of this—starts with a safety deposit box…

Nima:

If anyone gets in today, would be grateful to find out of if the bank vault at the BofA in the village survived. I’ve read mixed reviews on the fireproofing of safe deposit boxes.

Cross fingers emoji.

Alexana:

Me too, I saw some video and it did look like there were some boxes standing inside BofA

Nima:

Hallelujia

Alisa:

Thanks to all of you heroes who are driving through areas of our town with videos and giving people hope as we as answers. It’s what we call “a mitzvah” – a very good deed that cannot be repaid.

Repaid for what? What do you have in that safety deposit box? One of the key features of a financial crisis is that we don’t know what each player at the table has and what they stand to lose. It’s what makes it fascinating. When asset prices go insane (I worked on a trading floor for fourteen years) and there’s talk of “deleveraging” this means that someone is about to vomit up their meal. They’ve gambled too heavily on one direction. They’re being called to post margin, but they don’t have the cash. Think Long Term Capital Management in 1998 which needed a $3.6 billion bailout. Or Bear Stears, Lehman, AIG, Northern Rock in 2008 which lead to every major financial institution in the world needing a bailout. Or Silicon Valley Bank in 2024, receiving a bailout for no reason I can think of.  Financial crises are fascinating, and we have one brewing right here in Pacific Palisades. During a wildfire. Banks in flames. Banks erupting. Banks exploding. We are watching a dollhouse version of the 2008 Big Short Margin Call Too Big to Fail on replay—and people are in distress—

Kari:

Anyone know if any of the vault boxes remain at Chase bank?

Yasmin:

Anyone knows how to get info about Bank of America safe deposit boxes?

Michelle:

We sent a request through the general safe deposit online portal. They’ve really done a disservice to not send emails out to the box holders. IMO.

When Bita writes to us again, Are the safe deposit boxes still standing? They survived the fire? someone posts the Los Angeles Times cover from Friday, January 10, 2025. It contains a nice description.

 “Everything is burned down; over 6,000 structures lost in devastating firestorm.”

Still, Yasmin isn’t sure.

Any news of security for Bank of America safe deposit boxes?

Plz let me know if anyone has info.

Sheila responds:

I spoke with another bank and was told that the safety deposit boxes likely survived the fire since they are enclosed within the vault. Debris needs to be clear before gaining access. The person I spoke to said there will be a specific day to get access. Call BofA customer service and ask who the contact person is.

Elizabeth disagrees:

When I called Bank of America, they didn’t know who the contact person was and they said somebody will call me in three days. I’ll keep everyone posted if I hear anything.

Nicole:

Thank you! This would be helpful.

Carolyn:

Not sure if it was this chain but I called B of A and they said the safety deposit boxes are fire safe. She can’t guarantee in our circumstances though of course. She said it’s being looked into and we will get an email. We can also check splash page of B of A for alerts. So not much info by fyi and they are aware etc etc thank you for being a loyal customer yada yada

Like any good financial crisis (or B story in a drama) the suspense is interminable. A full week after the fire starts on Tuesday January 14 at 12:14 pm after flames have died out in the center of town and left behind piles of black ash, people still don’t have answers.

Kari:

Does anyone know about the boxes at Chase? Did they make it?

CDore:

Any idea if US Bank is OK? We have a safe deposit box there.

Jeremy:

Does anyone have a sense when we will be able to access Chase safety deposit box

Melanie:

Has anyone been able to contact Wella Fargo? I can’t get anyone on the phone- anywhere! I have safety deposit box there and want to get my stuff out. It’s all I have left

Crying face emoji. Crying face emoji. Crying face emoji.

Alison:

Wells did not burn thankfully. It may take a while to get access to your boxes but your stuff is safe. Thanks!

Jeremy:

What about Chase safety deposit boxes?

Alisa:

Or First Citizens Bank deposit boxes? 

Of course, Yasmin:

Does anyone have update about Bank of America safe deposit boxes ?

And Sarah +44 number reaching out from the United Kingdom:

Has anyone had any luck with the US Bank and news on safety deposit boxes?

By Monday January 20 at 2:50 pm, the desperation is at boiling point. It’s clear to me now that some of these people have multiple deposit boxes at multiple banks.  I won’t even get into how potentially odd this behavior is.  

Does anyone have an update on the safe deposit boxes ( chase and b of a)

??!

Carolyn:

I called B of A and they still have no info

Bita:

I talked to BofA and no real solid news

Parvaneh:

Does anyone know what happened to safety deposit boxes in Bank of America

Dana:

There was just a very grim report on kcal about the boxes. I’ve been really anxious about them as well. The “safe expert” painted a very negative picture but we don’t know until we do.

Parvaneh:

I know I got confused after watching the news

Finally, the authorities are getting involved. Maybe we’ll get a bailout. Or maybe just a grim local news report. Here’s the inexact transcript from KCAL:

KCAL News: Jan 21st, 2025

(Two female news anchors appear)

Safe deposit boxes aren’t not always so safe. This is video of banks going up in flames during the Palisades fire. People of course put special items in safe deposit boxes for protection. But it turns out that while they are fire resistant, experts say they are not fireproof. 

(Expert appears. He’s a burly guy with a white bristly beard. In a white turtleneck and black windbreaker with a patch that reads “SAFE DEPOSIT.” He looms over a laptop camera in what looks to be a dentist’s reception area. Pastel walls. Cheesy art. His red face fills the entire screen, as he’s being interviewed. Asked to give his expert opinion on the state of the safety deposit boxes at banks that burned in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. As he talks, he glances down at his note to make sure he gets the temperatures right.)

“Kind of like an oven. When the temperature inside the vault reaches 450 degrees anything that is in paper, like cash or deeds, is going to combust. All you’re going to have is ash. When the temperature reaches 1763 degrees, if you have jewelry in that vault, you have a melted glob of gold or silver” 

The two females, the news anchors cut in with their thoughts.

“In most cases the valuable items stored in safe deposit boxes aren’t federally insured. They need to be covered by a homeowners insurance policy or a specific safe deposit insurance policy.”

They conclude the news segment with:

“I can only imagine what was inside all those safe deposit boxes….”  

Right after this, we get our first official communication from a bank.

Communication! Official!

An answer!

Carolyn posts:

An update on the financial center at 15314 West Sunset Boulevard, Pacific Palisades, CA

At Bank of America, our thoughts continue to be with all of our customers, clients, teammates and community members who have been affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles.

With this in mind, we want to share an update with you on our local Bank of America financial center at 15314 West Sunset Boulevard, Pacific Palisades, CA. Our records show you this financial center serves you, including with safe deposit box services.

Safe Deposit Box Status

As you may know, this financial center has been severely damaged by the fires.

E-mail cuts off.

Second half of e-mail posted by Carolyn:

Safe Deposit Box Status

As you may know, this financial center has been severely damaged by the fires. Our teams are fully at work, securing the site and taking steps to assess the safe deposit boxes as soon as possible.

What’s next?

We will keep you updated as this important work progresses, through written communications and direct outreach by phone. In the meantime, if you have questions, you can contact our Safe Deposit Box Priority Line at 877.218.8262.

If your financial situation has been impacted and you need assistance, please:

Phone symbol. Call our priority line at 855.729.1764

Mobile symbol. Log in to our Mobile app[2] and ask ERICA[3] about “wildfire assistance.”

After this unsatisfying answer we get a B story within the B story. It’s hard to explain why or how this happens (other than the obvious that people are confused, broken, in turmoil) but it happens. Communication goes awry.

S:

If you know of anyone in need of female products that lost their home they can get free tampons or pads from tampontribe.com The pads look thin but they are for heavy flow...

Yasmin:

Has anyone gotten an email from b of a regarding the safe deposit boxes

Yasmin reposts the tampon offer and responds to S:

Plz.

Plz text me if can !

The mystery is unfolding on levels we can’t possibly decode. Tampons. Safety deposit boxes. Tampons in safety boxes? The mystery is getting weird. From the sublime to the ridiculous we’re moving. From Universe Two (the soul) to Universe One (money)[4] we go with endless, sinister implications for our mental health and happiness. And people can’t get their various local bank branch managers to respond to their entreaties.

Pietro panics:

Safe deposit boxes at chase?

Are those insured at all?

Are safety deposit boxes insured? Great question. For this we need to circle back to the KCAL news report on January 21: “In most cases the valuable items stored in safe deposit boxes aren’t federally insured. They need to be covered by a homeowners insurance policy or a specific safe deposit insurance policy.” Which is interesting because the definition of a Safety Deposit Box (according to Investopedia) is “an individually secured container that stays in the vault of a federally insured bank or credit union.” Answer: safety deposit boxes hold uninsured items inside an insured place.

It's not a pun. It makes total sense.

The FDIC can’t possibly insure your odd behavior or waywardness. Like if you hid cash from the IRS. Or stole jewels from your employer and have been spreading them across multiple safety deposit boxes at multiple local, physical bank branches in Pacific Palisades. Or if your parent is dementia-ridden and your sibling has a drug problem so you visited your parent on a stormy night last August and guided his shaky hand into signing a newly designed living will that cuts your sibling out of the deal altogether, and then went to the bank Monday morning at 8 am to stash the living will deep in your safety deposit box only to be revealed after that parent’s funeral. If you’re engaged in horseplay, if this is your remit, the FDIC wants no part of it. Sorry. For all its faults, the federal government has some sense and needs to draw the line somewhere.

Note: right around this time I get a call from a friend that does not bode well for these people. My friend recruits two friends to bike up Palisades Drive (past the checkpoints) to his home for the express purpose of “locating his safe” under hundreds of pounds of rubble. Before the fire, my friend’s family kept the safe in the basement. This is problematic of course because now, likely, it will take a few strong men hours to find. But they’re committed. They go in with shovels and crowbars. After hours of physical labor, they are covered in ash and debris and dripping sweat. Choking on hexavalent chromium. Miraculously, they locate the thing. Eureka! It’s intact. But the combination dial on the safe is melted. There’s only one option now, and that’s to take turns with the crowbar. Shovel. Crowbar. Shovel. They bring the axe down on this thing as many times as it takes for the safe door to crack open. What’s inside? Fine dust.

I debate whether to add this story to the thread. I don’t need to. A fight breaks out that I didn’t start. Wednesday February 19 at 9:51 am from Ben.

For those of you looking for updates on the vaults at Chase and Bank of America, I just heard that they actually melted shut in the fire. That is why it is taking them longer to get them open. Sounds like they are going to get them open this week.

Melinda:

Where did you get this information?

Kat:

this is not true.

bank of america has already removed all boxes and they are all intact. mine is at chase and we are still waiting for them to get into the vault since there is underground parking they need to make sure it’s safe to walk on site

Ben:

Then it may just be Chase 

Kat:

where did you hear this

i was at chase yesterday they did not say this

Ben:

Got it. I may have misheard on the BofA piece.

Kat can’t let it go:

where did the chase info come from

misinformation

They haven’t been able to go inside the vault yet

Ben:

Because it melted shut

(He’s sticking to his guns)

The only reason Topa hasn’t started debris removal is that vault

Kat:

It has concrete all around it and I saw the door

Ben:

He indicated that they can’t open the door because the door melted to the frame

Scott cuts in:

Why were taxpayers paying for her boondoggle to Ghana in the first place?

On that note the argument ends and it’s not until 1:28 pm the same day February 19, 2025 that Joel, who admits he works for a political news outlet but promises not to post anything political, comes to us with official information. Have people given up by now? Am I the only resident of Pacific Palisades who has never owned a safety deposit box and never will and can’t imagine a reason for owning a safety deposit box when there are so many better forms of subterfuge—the only person following the thread who is deeply fascinated with how this B Story ends? I’m on the edge of my seat popcorn in hand waiting to see where fate and destiny will take us on this question of small metal boxes and items my neighbors hid inside them.

A friend of mine opened the very first safe deposit box to be recovered from the ruins of the Bank of America building today….

Here it comes.

Drumroll.

Thankfully, all of the contents were intact. Apparently the staff were all hugging and high-fiving each other. A bit of good news for those of you worried about your safe deposit boxes.

Heart emoji. Prayer symbol. Blue heart.

Kat:

I’m so happy to hear

I pray the same with chase

But not until three months later Friday April 4, at 8:57 am after the biggest wildfire in state history sweeps town do people finally get access:

Hazel:

Anyone have news re: Chase safe deposit boxes?

Kat:

I got my contents on Tuesday UNTOUCHED

Heart emoji

the boxes looked great

Alisa:

Did you go there or did you make an appt? We emailed them but haven’t heard back yet. How did you get in touch w them? Happy for you!!

Kat:

through email

thank you I’m sure you are safe!!

Ian:

They got the vault out of the branch last week. The inside of the vault looked quite clean.

Kat:

pacific.palisades.sdb@chase.com 

i think because the top floor collapsed onto the first floor it protected the vault even more

boxes looked shiny and beautiful

Happy face wearing star sunglasses

Alisa:

This is great! I didn’t have the pacific palisades in my email. Will email them again. Incredible!!!

Kat:

papers were intact as well

please keep us posted…. I pray that you will be happy!

And in case you were wondering. If we finally get answers. If these people finally give us the reveal. If we watched six seasons of the TV drama for a reason. If the showrunner knows how to pay off the story line of the young pretty wife with makeup concealing a black eye who visits her safety deposit box to stash a secret seconds before the FBI bursts into her home and husband’s office, who just barely makes it onto a bus headed out of the United States to Tiajuana and points further south… abandoning her infant child with her sister but not before inscribing a tiny silver bracelet for the child to wear that contains the code to the safety deposit box at the bank, a code that everyone wants including the fugitive husband and FBI and a retired, alcoholic investigator back for one more investigation…. a code to a box that unlocks the whole story… now the sister is on the run too, infant in arms sirens flashing in background… and if we can just go back to the safety deposit box to find out what is inside… if… if…

 Our mystery box moment pays off in a whimper.

Maria:

The chase boxes are safe out of the burn building I have an appointment for next week to take my contents, if they survived.

2 boxes, mostly jewelry. Will see

---

[1] Federal Reserve statistics. U.S. Banks ranked by consolidated assets. federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
[2] Bank of America has the footnote. I can’t see it on the e-mail.
[3] IBID. Bank of America also has this footnote.
[4] In True and False Magic, Phil Stutz defines Universe One and Two as parallel states of mind. We cycle back and forth between them. Universe Two is the place of the soul; the place from which you create. Universe One, alternatively, is about competition, money, hierarchy. It’s a way of thinking that gives you the feeling that you are either winning or losing.