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Visitors to Joseph Chahayed’s Southern California gas station sometimes place their palms on the glass windows, trying to channel good vibes. Other times they ask for a hug or a selfie.
“I don’t know how many hundreds of people have tried to take pictures with me,” Mr. Chahayed said as he served a procession of customers buying lottery tickets on Thursday.
Mr. Chahayed is the owner of what some might call the luckiest gas station in America. Three years ago, the largest lottery jackpot in American history — $2.04 billion — was sold here at Joe’s Service Center. Mr. Chahayed received $1 million for selling the Powerball ticket.
But two years later came even greater good fortune for his station, amid even greater tragedy for his city.
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Joe’s Service Center sits on the busy corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and Woodbury Road in Altadena. When he arrived at work on the morning of Jan. 8, black smoke blanketed the station, so thick he could see neither sky nor sun. The Eaton fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California history, was bearing down on his business, his little patch of the American dream he had built since arriving as an immigrant from Syria 45 years ago. Mr. Chahayed said he prayed outside, next to the gas pumps, as neighbors ran to him, some of them in their pajamas and slippers. Sheriff’s deputies all but ordered him to leave.
