When Everything Burned Down, Community Came First: The Story of The Palisades Dentists

When Dr. Cerisa Clouse looks at the site where her dental practice once stood, the devastation still feels unreal.

The building that housed The Palisades Dentists is gone. The neighboring buildings are gone. Even the nearby school was flattened. What remains is an empty space where a thriving practice and a tight-knit community once gathered every day.

“I want to just run down there and pretend this never happened,” she says. 

But for Dr. Clouse, owner of The Palisades Dentists, the story of loss is inseparable from a story of leadership, responsibility, and an unwavering commitment to her people.

A Practice Rooted in Community

Dr. Clouse has always loved working with people. Dentistry, for her, was never just about teeth—it was about helping people feel confident, cared for, and connected.

That connection is especially strong in the Pacific Palisades. While technically part of Los Angeles, the Palisades is something different entirely. It’s a small-town community tucked inside a big city, where neighbors know one another and local businesses are deeply intertwined with daily life.

“Practicing in that community meant so deeply to me,” Dr. Clouse explains. “It’s such a part of my heart.”

That’s why the loss didn’t land like a single moment of grief. It landed in waves. One minute she was thinking about patients and the schedule, and the next she was looking at a flattened block where her office used to be — trying to make sense of how something so permanent could disappear so fast.

The Day Everything Changed

The day before the fire, residents had been warned about severe, life-threatening winds. Even so, when patients began mentioning a fire in the Highlands neighborhood, no one immediately panicked.

Fires in that area weren’t uncommon. They were usually contained quickly.

But this one wasn’t.

What started as a 50-acre fire rapidly grew to 200 acres, then exploded to more than 2,000 acres. Evacuation orders expanded. Conditions worsened by the hour.

As the fire progressed, Dr. Clouse’s focus became crystal clear: her staff.

“They all commute,” she says. “My priority was getting them safe and home.”

She told her team to gather their belongings and evacuate. She planned to stay behind to monitor the situation. But her staff refused to leave without her.

“They came into my office and said, ‘We’re not leaving if you’re not leaving.’”

It was a moment that captured the culture of Palisades Dentists perfectly. It was loyalty in real time—people refusing to walk away from each other when it mattered most.

After the Fire: What Comes First

Dr. Clouse learned that the building had burned down on the morning of the 8th. Her first thoughts were not about equipment or walls or schedules.

They were about people.

Her staff had families. Bills. Lives that depended on their jobs.

Her patients had pending cases. Some were waiting for teeth. Others were mid-treatment and unsure what would happen next.

Continuity of care mattered. Communication mattered.

And then there was the data.

Going Back In

Palisades Dentists had a physical server that contained patient records. Dr. Clouse believed it might still be intact.

So she went back.

While the building was still smoldering, she retrieved the server herself.

“I don’t know if it was safe or smart,” she admits. “But I would do it again.”

That decision ensured patient data was preserved and accessible—a critical step in maintaining trust and continuity during an already traumatic time.

Staying Connected When Everything Else Was Gone

In the immediate aftermath of the fire, Pacific Palisades had no utilities. No phone systems. No infrastructure to support a traditional dental office.

But patients still needed help.

The day after the fire, two patients experienced dental emergencies. While Palisades Dentists couldn’t physically treat them, Dr. Clouse was able to communicate with them through the Weave app on her cell phone.

She provided updates. She gave guidance. She helped them understand next steps.

Patients were surprised—and grateful—that their dental office was still reaching out.

“At a time like that, having a doctor reach out to let you know it’s going to be okay—that the sense of community will resume—that means everything,” she says.

Weave became the lifeline that allowed Palisades Dentists to stay afloat, keep operations moving forward, and maintain patient relationships when nothing else was available.

More Than a Practice

For patients, that communication wasn’t just about dentistry. It was about normalcy. About knowing someone was still looking out for them.

“They wanted some sense of normal,” Dr. Clouse reflects.

And that sense of normal begins with human connection.

Looking Ahead to Rebuilding

As tragic and traumatic as the fire was—and continues to be—Dr. Clouse remains focused on what comes next.

Every business that chooses to rebuild in the Palisades helps restore the fabric of the community. Every reopened practice, shop, or office brings the town one step closer to healing.

“Palisades Dentists needs to be in the Pacific Palisades,” she says. “Our mission is to serve this community.”

Rebuilding won’t look exactly the same. The town will be different.

But it will also be incredible. Beautiful. Strong.

And The Palisades Dentists will be there—serving patients, supporting neighbors, and proving that even after everything burns down, community can still rise.

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