Altadena is Not Ok. Now What?
The questions that remain unanswered, the tensions boiling, and what we can all do to support each other and our recovery now. Plus, the Altadena Resident Survey data is live
Hello friends. If you’re thinking it’s been a minute, me too. But let’s talk about why. Many of us have been busy behind the scenes trying to make sense of all of the moving pieces, who’s doing what, where we stand, what’s next, and hatching a plan for where we go from here. Now it’s time for us all to act. Let’s discuss…
Six Months Later: Altadena Is Still Waiting for Answers
Where to begin?
It’s been nearly six months since the disaster that upended all our lives here in Altadena — and to put it bluntly, we are not okay. Nearly six months since the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena — and the pain, frustration, and injustice we’ve experienced since then continue to mount. As a community, we’ve faced one failure after another: no evacuation orders, unanswered 911 calls, hydrants that ran dry, and a fire allowed to rage unchecked even after winds calmed.
If you’re one of the 10,000+ residents in our community group or follow us on Instagram, you already know: the frustration is palpable, it’s more relentless by the day, and our calls for accountability and support are still being met with silence.
Back in March, we issued an open letter to our LA County representatives demanding answers — basic, urgent questions that still haven’t been addressed:
Where was the evacuation order? Where were the bullhorns and door-to-door alerts to get people out safely?
Why was Altadena given a stand-down order — allowing our community to burn for days, even after the winds died down?
How did we end up with no water in hydrants, no backup plan, and no fire response strategy during a power shutoff?
Why did 911 calls go unanswered?
Why did some of our neighbors die in their homes — after being told help was on the way — with no one coming?
And perhaps most pressing of all: Why are we still getting no answers from our leaders?
And as if the failures in emergency response weren’t devastating enough, the aftermath continues to compound the crisis. Residents with standing homes are living in toxic cleanup zones, with insufficient testing or oversight. Insurance companies are stalling. Seniors and renters and the working class are being forced out. Developers are circling. The County continues to dodge responsibility. And now, they want us to be excited they’ve reopened Loma Alta Park — surrounded by contaminated land — for families and children? Make it make sense.
March came and went. So did April. May is gone. Still, no response. And every day, more issues emerge:
Renters are begging for protection, some even filing their own lawsuits
Seniors at Mirador are organizing after being left behind during the fire
Homeowners with standing structures are fighting to live safely amid toxic residue
Small businesses are desperate for real financial support
And uninsured and underrepresented residents are being left to fend for themselves, with no clear path forward
We’re now six months deep into an environmental and public health disaster. Meanwhile, our County officials dodge questions, ignore emails and calls, refuse in-person meetings, and dismiss requests for public town halls. Accountability is nonexistent. Instead, we get photo ops — like that rushed and premature Loma Alta Park opening — and empty gestures meant to create the illusion of progress.
On the issue of fire response and resource management? All we’ve been offered is the vague promise of an “independent investigation” and a series of “listening sessions” that are more about checking boxes than real engagement or accountability. Chief Anthony Marrone — who presided over the failed response — is still being paraded through the community like a hero. He’s also still collecting a $441,792 annual salary while families are grieving loved ones who died needlessly.
And in case you missed it, the Army Corps of Engineers has been rushing through a record-paced cleanup that’s scheduled to end later this month — before people can even begin to raise concerns. Ours is the first major disaster cleanup in the region without post-cleanup soil testing. And when the Corps pulls out, residents will be stuck with the fallout: untested land, remaining debris, and the burden of private cleanup costs to finish the job.
So we ask again: Where is the leadership? What’s the plan? Where’s the money?
We keep hearing promises, but they fall flat — because there is no plan without funding, and no transparency around where the money is or where it’s going. Don’t get us started on FireAid…
Altadena deserves better. We need answers, action, accountability — and we’re not going anywhere until we get them.
Peaceful Protests
On May 17, groups like My Tribe Rise, Altadena Rising, Coach Z and others gathered at Loma Alta Park — simply asking to be heard. They’ve sent emails, made calls, requested meetings. No one responded. Not Supervisor Kathryn Barger. Not even our own Town Council members, who effectively told them they weren’t interested and didn’t care. You can’t make this shit up.
Yesterday, hundreds of Altadenans came together to march, rally, and raise our collective voice in a powerful show of solidarity and community resistance. The event, called Dena Rise Up, was both a protest and a declaration: we are still here, we are watching, and we will not go quietly.
With news helicopters circling overhead and an, at times testy, CHP escort, we began our march at Fair Oaks Burger. We moved down Fair Oaks, crossed Woodbury, and climbed Lincoln to Figueroa, for a community-led rally. It wasn’t just a march — it was a reclaiming of space, of voice, of our right to remain in the community we’ve built and sustained for generations.
The crowd was Black, Brown, White, Asian, LGBTQ+. It was Beautiful Altadena — standing together for justice, dignity, and the right to remain in the community we’ve built and sustained for generations.
People emerged from their homes to cheer us on. Many of the trucks hauling away the debris of what used to be our homes and lives paused to honk in support. The energy was undeniable — righteous, grounded, and deeply emotional.
I saw so many familiar faces. Friends, neighbors, fellow organizers, and folks from our group showed up — not just to witness, but to participate, to raise signs, to share stories, to demand better. We marched because it is nearly six months since the Eaton Fire tore through our town, and the failures at every level of government continue to be staggering.
We’ve seen commercial developers and real estate speculators circling our community like vultures, snatching up more than half of the properties sold by displaced survivors. Renters have been left with no protections. Seniors are falling through the cracks. And residents are still battling insurance companies just to access what they’re owed. For those of us trying to rebuild, we were promised expedited permitting and waived fees for rebuilding — just more promises that remain unfulfilled.
We marched to tell the County, the State, and anyone else who needs to hear it: Altadena will not go quietly.
Displaced residents wore shirts with messages like “My Heart Belongs to Altadena,” “Poppyfields Forever,” “Altadena Not for Sale,” and simply “91001.” Signs captured the grief and fury:
“No Warning – No Help – No Accountability”
“Elders, Renters, Immigrants, Workers Belong in Altadena”
“Hands Off Altadena”
“Direct Cash Assistance for Struggling Fire Survivors”
“Solo El Pueblo Salva El Pueblo”
We also noticed who wasn’t there. Supervisor Barger was invited to meet the community here and opted not to show up – again. Our volunteer Town Council representatives — who never miss a photo opp with Barger and are supposed to be the conduit of our concerns to the County — didn’t show up either. No presence. No statement. No solidarity. Their absence says it all. We have no leadership and no representation. Even our volunteer Town Council think they work for County.
On the other hand, our newly elected State Senator, Sasha Rénee Pérez, did show up. She listened, she stood with us, and she continues to advocate for a proposed $200 million in state funding to establish a community land trust — a vital tool that could help keep displaced Altadenans in Altadena. Whether she gets the support she needs in Sacramento remains to be seen. But at least she’s showing up.
What Now?
Many of us have been expressing our frustrations with the County for years. I’ve been sitting in on virtually every meeting and committee possible the last couple of months from the Eaton Fire Collaborative to the Blue Ribbon Commission. Lots of good people with good intentions trying to get things done. Lots of duplicated efforts. Lots of talk behind closed doors. Lots of money moving around from NPO to NPO. Lots of people who clearly do not understand our community. And not nearly enough transparency or tangible results.
If you’re a member of our group you’ve likely heard me say about a hundred times in the last decade that the only way we will ever have real progress here is to emancipate ourselves from the County and incorporate. That should still be our goal, and we are working towards that, but what about now?
Does anyone have a plan? Or a way of funding it – outside of the additional taxes that are what’s currently on the table? Glad you asked, because yes, we do. A few of us Altadenans – Stephen Sachs at Sustainable Community Development Corporation, Seriina Covarrubias at the Altadena Action for Community Transformation (AACT) and I have been working on this for months and we have both a plan and a way to fund it through Opportunity Zones. We penned a letter about it the US Senate Finance Committee and all – and Congress is listening.
So for now, we keep fighting. We push for real policy change. We fight like hell to make sure this doesn’t happen again. One immediate step is to support AB797, the Community Stabilization Act authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian. This bill would give communities like ours real tools to stop post-disaster land grabs and corporate exploitation.
This is it. The time is now.
Write a letter to your state representatives. Call their offices.
Spread the word.
We need to make noise.
Stephen even did the work for you here with letters and scripts you can simply copy and paste.
Because this is not just about Altadena. It’s about every vulnerable community staring down climate disaster, gentrification, and government neglect and indifference.
Yesterday, the Dena rose up. And we’re not done.
We are still here. We are still fighting.
This is Beautiful Altadena.
The ARISE Report Data
The Future Organization shared the results of the Altadena Resident Survey — an in-depth community response effort we helped circulate after the fire. Needless to say, the County would love to see this buried, so give it a read and spread the good word. Read the full report and breakdown here.
Next Time…
We’ll finally get our guide to local businesses wrapped and out! Plus, the first round of our vetted and recommended contractors.
Such an important read. Thank you for putting your frustrations and thoughts so succinctly in these dire times, Shawna 🙏🏽
Thank you for providing updates and transparency around the frustration surrounding the aftermath of the fires. Are there any known organizations who are properly dispersing funds to displaced residents or local businesses? Would love to know from someone on the front lines the best way the rest of the city can help support.