John Mayer is being praised for explaining why losing his memorabilia in the LA fire was such a huge loss for everyone. John said he was “incredibly lucky” to have…

Fires continue to engulf significant portions of Los Angeles County as of Friday afternoon. According to the Associated Press, over 10,000 structures have burned.

Building engulfed in flames behind palm trees, emitting thick smoke into the sky

AGUSTIN PAULLIER / AFP) (Photo by AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP via Getty Images

Advertisement

 

Among the structures damaged or lost entirely in the blazes are many homes and, with them, numerous personal items.

Burned and destroyed buildings with charred trees and debris along an empty street after a wildfire

AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP via Getty Images

The gravity of losing mementos was not lost on John Mayer, who took to Instagram on Thursday to share an eloquent statement about the importance keepsakes play in our lives.

Man in casual blazer speaking at an outdoor event

ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

John, who made it clear that he and his Los Angeles home are safe from the fires, shared a photo of a folder. The folder, he said, held pictures that he has collected of his father. John shared in October 2023 that his dad was celebrating his 96th birthday that year.

Translucent parchment covers a dark rectangular object on a wooden table

@johnmayer/Instagram / Via instagram.com

“This is the most valuable thing I own,” he wrote, noting the photos spanned his father’s life from infancy to adulthood. “It’s the only evidence of his life that will exist over time.”

Person in a sleek suit poses in front of a backdrop at an event

Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

Advertisement

He then turned his attention to the fires and the items people lost in them. “These are the ‘documents’ you read about people taking from their homes,” he wrote. “When you hear someone say they’ve lost everything in a fire, this is much of that everything, if not all of it. Those who say they’ll be okay still have their folders and their albums. Those who are inconsolable have lost them.”

A large house engulfed in flames at night, with bright fire illuminating the building and surrounding area

Apu Gomes / Getty Images

“Just behind the immeasurable loss of life is the loss of the proof of life,” he continued.

Firefighter battling a large house fire at night, spraying water onto the flames engulfing the structure and a nearby car

David McNew / Getty Images

Advertisement

The singer noted he does not pray but would do so that evening for people who’ve lost their beloved keepsakes. He said that losing one’s home isn’t about “art” or “collectibles” that have been destroyed. It’s about the personal items that connect us to the things and people we love.

House and car destroyed by a wildfire; debris and smoke fill the scene, with trees in the background

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

“It’s the photos, the letters, the class rings, the eyeglasses and the things we keep to remind us that those we loved were here,” he wrote. “May those who have lost so much find some semblance of hope and support from their family and friends.”

People hugging on a smoky street, others standing in the background, possibly after a disaster or emergency

David McNew / Getty Images

Advertisement

John ended his post by encouraging people to safeguard one another.

A helicopter drops water on a hillside wildfire at night, with a cityscape visible in the distance

Mario Tama / Getty Images

“Stay safe, look out for yourself and for one another, and trust that humanity and all it entails, though sometimes hard to see, is alive and well. This is truly devastating,” he said.

Instagram post by a public figure sharing a meaningful message about the emotional impact of losing personal belongings in a fire

@johnmayer/Instagram / Via instagram.com

Advertisement

People profusely praised his sentiment in the comments, including Kelly Rizzo, Bob Saget’s widow.

Person in a black, sleeveless dress with a deep neckline poses against a blue backdrop

Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

She thanked him for “putting this into perspective” and noted that mementos were some of the first things she packed in her evacuation kit, including “Bob’s glasses, a lot of his clothes and personal effects that I know are completely irreplaceable.”

Comment appreciating a message's beauty and truth, mentioning eyeglasses and personal effects' sentimental value, with thanks for offering perspective

@kellyrizzo/Instagram / Via instagram.com

Advertisement

Andy Cohen, a close friend of John’s, also commented. “Beautifully said. we are all with a lump in our heart for friends and strangers dealing with immeasurable loss,” he wrote.

Comment from user "bravoandy": "Beautifully said. We are all with a lump in our heart for friends and strangers dealing with immeasurable loss."

@bravoandy/Instagram / Via instagram.com

Questlove noted his mom’s side of his family lost their “entire history.” He encourages people to “grab the mementos” because “that feeling of incompleteness occasionally shows its head.”

A user comments about losing family history, urging others to preserve mementos and expressing relief that some memories can still be held onto

@questloves/Instagram / Via instagram.com

Advertisement

Singer JP Saxe praised John’s post as a “beautiful sentiment and stunningly written.”

Comment from verified user jpsaxe: "beautiful sentiment and stunningly written." Posted 21 hours ago with 368 likes

@jpsaxe/Instagram / Via instagram.com

Finally, singer Paul Klein, a member of the band LANY, said he grabbed a guitar John gave him when packing up. “I had 3 minutes to get out last night. i grabbed my safe and the guitar u gave me 😭,” he wrote.

Screenshot of a social media comment by pauljasonklein: "I had 3 minutes to get out last night. I grabbed my safe and the guitar u gave me" with a crying emoji

Related Posts

💔🌏 A Widow’s Heartbreaking Plea Echoes Worldwide as She Begs for an End to False Rumours About Her Husband Killed in Sydney Double Murder 🕯️

Thousands of miles from the blood-soaked crime scene in Sydney’s Quakers Hill, a grieving widow in Fiji has delivered a raw, tear-filled plea that has silenced cruel…

👀🔫 Unmatched DNA on the G/un? New Forensic Evidence Casts Serious Doubt on Ruling in Camila Mendoza Olmos’ Death 🧬💔

Forensic Twist Unravels Mystery: Unmatched DNA on Gun Raises Doubts About Camila Mendoza Olmos’ Alleged Suicide A somber stillness hangs over northwest Bexar County, Texas, as the…

🚨🕯️ Sh0t De@d Inside Their Home: Ohio Dentist and His Wife Leave Family ‘Heartbroken Beyond Words’ as Police Reveals New Clue 💔

abc3340.com toledoblade.com dispatch.com Columbus, Ohio, reeled from a devastating double homicide that claimed the lives of Dr. Spencer Tepe, a 37-year-old cherished dentist, and his wife Monique…

🦈🌊 Chilling Mystery in the Gulf: Family Fears Shark Attack After Uncle and Nephew Vanish on Deep-Sea Fishing Trip 😱💔

A routine deep-sea fishing adventure turned into an unimaginable nightmare for two prominent Florida attorneys on December 19, 2025, when Randall “Randy” Spivey, 57, and his nephew…

Spider-Man: Brand New Day – Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger Returns in a Highly Anticipated Fresh Start This July

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is gearing up for one of its most eagerly awaited releases in years with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, swinging into theaters on July…

Avatar 5 to Take the Epic Saga to Earth: Composer Simon Franglen Confirms a “Bonkers” Shift in James Cameron’s Visionary Franchise

The Avatar franchise, James Cameron’s groundbreaking sci-fi epic, continues to expand in ways that defy expectations. As Avatar: Fire and Ash dominates theaters worldwide in early 2026,…