Photo: Getty Images North America
One year after the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena and parts of Pasadena, the city is still recovering from physical and emotional devastation, per PasadenaNow.
The most destructive wildfire events in Los Angeles County history unfolded on the evening of January 7, 2025, during a period of extreme Santa Ana winds. Fueled by gusts reaching up to 90 miles per hour and months of drought-dry brush, the Eaton Fire exploded in size within hours, eventually burning 22 square miles, destroying more than 9,400 structures and killing 19 people. It burned for 25 days before being fully contained.
“It was like a bomb going off, no other way to describe it,” Governor Gavin Newsom said this week, recalling his visit to the fire zone just hours after ignition. “I was there physically in the midst of the firefighting … experiencing firsthand what our first responders were dealing with.”
In the days after the flames subsided, entire neighborhoods were unrecognizable. Homes were reduced to foundations and lone chimneys, cars sat burned in driveways, and the smell of smoke lingered for months. As emergency services strained under the scale of the disaster, community response filled the void. Churches, schools, and nonprofit centers opened their doors as shelters, while residents organized aid through neighborhood groups and social media.
Over the past year, recovery has unfolded unevenly. Debris removal and environmental cleanup have led to insurance battles, permitting delays, and soaring construction costs. While a small number of homeowners have returned to rebuild houses, many families remain displaced, living in temporary housing or having left the community altogether.
In predominantly Black neighborhoods of West Altadena, residents say evacuation alerts were delayed or never arrived, and fire response was minimal as flames approached. Tracking data later published by the Los Angeles Times showed that while 64 fire trucks were stationed in east Pasadena during the critical early hours, just one was positioned in West Pasadena at 3:08 a.m.
A survey released six months after the fire found that one in five residents believed the Los Angeles County Fire Department deliberately allowed the neighborhood to burn. Many of the homes destroyed had been passed down through Black families for generations.
“Absolutely, we are coming back,” Antoinette Rains, an Altadena resident and community advocate, said. “Weekly, I hear from many Black Altadenans that are determined to rebuild and get back home.”
Local officials have since acknowledged systemic failures. Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo said the fire revealed the limits of fragmented disaster response.
“Preparation cannot stop at city lines,” Gordo said. “The Eaton Fire reminded us that preparedness isn’t an abstract goal; it is a responsibility we owe to our residents.”
Los Angeles County has taken steps to accelerate recovery, including waiving permit fees and streamlining approvals. Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the county has distributed more than $21 million in relief grants and waived an estimated $120 million in permit costs, though thousands of permits remain unapproved.
In a statement, Newsom emphasized that recovery remains unfinished.
“Recovery looks different for every family,” he said. “Many are rebuilding. Others are still navigating how — or whether — to rebuild. California will keep showing up, and we will keep doing the work.”
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