The Eaton Fire - Six Months Later

With solemn reflection, we mark the six-month anniversary of the Eaton Fire. Though this is a difficult milestone to honor, we acknowledge the devastation this community has endured and the deep, ongoing trauma that continues to shape daily life. Intergenerational wealth was destroyed. Invaluable members of our community—overwhelmingly Black—were taken from us. Local businesses, houses of worship, and cherished spaces of belonging and community gathering were decimated. Today—and truly, every day—we mourn all that we’ve lost and lament the ways in which our home will never be the same.

We also resist the instinct to wrap this moment in hopeful narratives or fixate on silver linings. Surely, this community has met this crisis with righteous resilience, and there is immeasurable beauty in that. However, as Altadena Rising’s Unmet Needs report makes clear, the challenges facing our most vulnerable neighbors remain immense. Meanwhile, the federal government continues to kidnap our immigrant neighbors, many of whom have been essential to our community’s rebuilding efforts. 

As terror seeks to claim OUR streets, and pain and hunger tighten their grip on our friends and families, we at Collaborate PASadena stand in solidarity with those who say NO MORE! We build coalitions, elevate voices, and fight for our community. Equally important, we remember those we lost—and the many pieces of our community that vanished with them. In this way, this milestone—and the countless ones to come—serve as critical touchpoints that sharpen our resolve and focus our efforts on justice and healing. 

In memory of:

Oswald Altmetz, 75

Carolyn Burns, 56

Edwin Cridland, 94

Dalyce Curry, 95

Stacey Darden, 54

Kevin Devine, 54

Miva Wheatley Friedli, 93

Erliene Kelley, 83

Barbara Lewis, 84

Evelyn McClendon, 59

Patricia McKenna, 77

Anthony Mitchell, 67

Justin Mitchell, 35

Rodney Nickerson, 82

Victor Shaw, 66

Lora Swayne, 71

Kimberly Winiecki, 77

Zhi Feng Zhao, 84