The Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires were devastating wildfires, estimated at 2,047 structures damaged, 16,251 structures destroyed, and 31 confirmed civilian fatalities as reported by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Both the Palisades and Altadena fires occurred at the same time, from Jan.7 to Jan. 31, 2025.
The fires displaced many residents, leaving them to rebuild. Still one year after the fires, Altadena residents still have a long way to go before their homes return to the community they once were.
Rebuilding Altadena has been a slow process; the streets of Altadena feel more like a ghost town, with remnants of what was. Investors have taken the opportunity to rebuild the city, with so many investors buying land, there is a community push of “Altadena is not for sale”, as reported by USA Today.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports 171 incidents in 2026 as of February.
“In my mind, I thought, okay, all these people lost their homes. So they’re going to be smart, and they’re going to be building back without wood and with non-combustible materials,” said Michelle Finestein of Build2last. “But about 6 months ago, I was driving around, and the only thing going up was wood.”
Finestein has been in contact with contractors to get the word out through flyers all over the city, so people in Altadena may have a safer alternative for rebuilding their homes. Whether it be due to misinformation or other alternatives not being offered for building a house, Finestein wonders why not more people are looking for non-combustible homes as she makes the effort to spread the word.
Recently, a Civil Rights investigation by California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation into the botched evacuation in West Altadena. Bonta claims late evacuation alerts contributed to some of the fatalities attributed to the fires.
“My office will be investigating whether there was race, age, or disability discrimination in the emergency response in West Altadena, which claimed the lives of at least 19 people,” Bonta said in the statement. “Specifically, we’ll be looking at whether the systems and structures at play contributed to a delay in the County’s evacuation notice and possible disparities in emergency response in West Altadena.”
On the border of Pasadena and Altadena, a local bookstore and boba shop, Dym – Books & Boba, owned by Desiree Sayarath, opened up on New Year’s Day in 2025. A week later, the fires began, and the shop became a distribution center for essentials to residents affected by the fires.
“I immediately knew it was my duty to step up for the community,” said Sayarath.
By February, Dym’s resumed selling boba and books. Sayarath’s consumer base didn’t even have the chance to build; they were gone due to the devastating circumstances, but knowing what Dym has done for the community. They’ve made sure to return the favor by spreading the word through social media and word of mouth, encouraging other locals to visit.
“I wanted to be very community-focused as a business, and I just wanted people to know who we are and connect with each other and support each other, and the fire and what it needed from our community allowed me to do that,” stated Sayarath.
The fires have brought locals together, but they have also separated residents from their homes and loved ones in large numbers due to the sheer number of structures damaged and destroyed.
West Altadena resident Marisol Espino had learned about the fires from her sister at 5:30 pm. The winds had knocked their power out, they left their home at 9:30 pm after convincing their sister to leave, and by 3:25 am, the evacuation orders were given, and by then, the neighborhood was already engulfed in fire.
“My family and I were forced to split up since we couldn’t find anyone who would rent to us as a family of six. My sister, her kids, and my father live together, and my son and I live separately. We live almost 30 miles away from our children’s school,” said Espino.
Altadena’s future is still up in the air, with many residents having been displaced by the fires of last year. The question of when normalcy will start, and with companies moving in, leaves many questions about the souls of the city being out of the residents’ hands. Many, like Espino, still believe that in the end, Altadena will stay strong.
“I wouldn’t say that we have changed. We’ve always been a tight-knit group and always looking out for each other; it’s only brought us all closer,” said Espino.
