Central Altadena Little League kicks off new season after Eaton Fire devastation

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Players from the Central Altadena Little League are slowly regaining a sense of normalcy after the devastating Eaton Fire destroyed their home field at Farnsworth Park in Altadena.

But thanks to a helping hand from West Pasadena Little League, the teams are back on the field and getting into the swing of things once again.

"Most of Altadena was destroyed during the Eaton Fire. We didn't have a field to play on. So, Western Pasadena opened their field up for us so we could practice. So, we're playing here now," said AA Orioles coach Brian Gardner.

Many of the players also lost their homes. Coaches said coming together as a team has helped uplift the players and provide some stability during the chaotic time.

'It's a time to get away, it's a time to have and it's a nice release," Gardner said.

"I'm so excited because the coach is my dad and I'm able to pitch," said player Golden Gardner.

Despite the challenging road to recovery, the teams remain determined to rebuild and are looking forward to a new season.

"I thought there wouldn't be a lot of kids and families that would be able to come back and play. For the most part, when we sent a survey out to the parents, everybody wanted to play. All of the families want to stay together. Altadena's a really tight-knit community," said assistant coach Nathan Okolbery.

"The love is just as overwhelming as the pain. And the fact that they have opened up their field for us and allowed us to play and continue our season so our kids don't miss our season is another beautiful thing that's happening out of this tragedy," Gardner said.