Remembrance, Recovery, & Resilience: One Year after the Eaton Fire

“This has been and always will be a remarkable community. We have true old-fashioned neighborliness, artists and makers, the elders who hold our history, and beautiful diversity. After the fire, we leaned on these strengths. We’re working to bring them back. We kept our steady hands. Our Altadena spirit is enduring.”

magda b., Altadena Eaton fire survivor

One year ago today, on January 7, 2025, flames sparked above the Eaton Canyon Wash at the Pasadena-Altadena border. Fueled by drought and gale-force winds, the blaze spread to more than 1,000 acres within hours. By the next day, the fire had forced the evacuation of over 100,000 people. We could not imagine the heartache and loss we would soon face.

The Eaton Fire is one of the most destructive events to happen in the history of the Greater Pasadena area, devastating Altadena and parts of Pasadena and Sierra Madre. It destroyed more than 9,000 structures, including 6,000 homes. More than 100 businesses were lost, with another 1,900 significantly damaged. Thirteen schools were destroyed or significantly damaged, along with more than a dozen churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples. Nineteen of our neighbors lost their lives. Our community faces a long and difficult recovery that is still in its early stages.

The losses experienced by so many of our neighbors, friends, and family have been devastating. Throughout Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre, residents are still hurting. Too many struggle to find affordable housing and access basic needs like food and healthcare while also experiencing worse mental health than before the fire. Many feel disconnected from the community bonds and support they need to recover.

Amid the destruction, there was also resilience. Residents welcomed evacuated neighbors and strangers into their homes, and local institutions and businesses offered to share their space with displaced schools, congregations, service providers, and others. Community organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena, Pasadena Community Job Center, First AME Church Pasadena, Flintridge Center, Harambee Ministries, and so many others provided countless residents with cash assistance, water, groceries, diapers, blankets, clothing, medical and rental assistance, and emergency childcare.

And today, a year after the unfathomable disaster, our community’s determination is still unwavering. You can see it in the volunteers and nonprofits who are rebuilding houses for fire-affected families, restoring needed affordable rental housing, providing vital mental health services, and connecting residents to necessary recovery supports and services.

Community leader Brandon Lamar leads a tour of the Eaton Fire Collaboratory’s warehouse, which maintains a steady supply of basic amenities and household goods for fire survivors. September 2025.

The Greater Pasadena community is our community. And we are here to support its restoration over the long term.

The Pasadena Community Foundation reacted swiftly to the fire, opening the Eaton Fire Relief & Recovery Fund on the morning of January 8. To date, the Pasadena Community Foundation and the Altadena Builds Back Foundation have granted more than $20 million to nonprofits supporting fire-affected residents at every stage of the recovery process, from supporting immediate needs like rental assistance, food, and emergency supplies to addressing challenges that have arisen in subsequent weeks and months: mental health needs, childcare facility recovery, housing reconstruction, and more.

Soon-to-be-announced grants will continue to support the rebuilding of homes and preserving the identity and character of local architecture while reducing costs for residents and expediting the construction process. We will continue to support our community throughout the recovery and rebuilding process, however long it takes.

Our goal is an equitable, community-centered recovery and rebuilding process. Survivors have and will continue to play a critical role in leading our efforts.

Find or Give Assistance

Today’s anniversary is a difficult milestone for everyone who survived the Eaton Fire. If you need support, there are many resources out there to help you, from government programs to local community organizations to mental health support. If you’re interested in helping fire survivors, consider volunteering with a local community organization or donating to the Altadena Builds Back Foundation to support residential rebuilding or to the Eaton Fire Relief & Recovery Fund to support ongoing community recovery.

An oversized map of the Eaton Fire burn scar, created by Noel McCarthy, stands outside a beloved community gathering space in Altadena, the Good Neighbor Bar.