1 year after Eaton Fire, rebuilding Altadena includes focus on safety, hope for the future
ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- In Altadena, the community continues to rebuild one year after the Eaton Fire. We spoke with one family about their hopes for the future and another victim who lost more than a home in the blaze.
From their temporary porch on their burned-out lot, Marc and Gloria Archuleta have had a bird's eye view of the rebuilding in the burn zone.
According to Los Angeles County, more than 500 homes are currently under construction. That's good progress, but a far cry from the more than 6,000 homes destroyed in the deadly blaze. Another 600 were damaged.
Whether starting from scratch or dealing with major remediation - like Tony and Jenny Huang - the challenges have been immense.
"I don't think that we got clear answers in terms of resources and tools that were available to us," Huang said.
Many of the fire victims say getting permits has been one of the biggest hurdles. Between Altadena and Pasadena, L.A. County says more than 2,700 permit applications have been submitted. Just over 1,000 have been issued.
From plans to payments, figuring out the logistics has only added to their grief and burden for residents.
Another major concern for many is how the history of Altadena will be altered as properties change hands. According to the numbers, almost 350 homes have been sold and more than 100 are currently for sale in the burn zone.
The Archuletas, who have been living on their lot for the last six months and keeping a close eye on the community, say they are optimistic.
"I think the for-sales are a little less and we're glad about that," said Marc Archuleta. "I mean, you know, you hear all the horror stories in the beginning that, oh my gosh, everybody's going to leave and everybody's going to rebuild, but from what we can see, that's not the case."
For Zaire Calvin, the cost of the fire was so much more than just his four family homes that burned to the ground. It was his sister's life.
Evelyn McClendon was one of at least 19 killed in the blaze one year ago.
"You're envisioning what happened to them. What their last breath was, what their last thoughts were. The panic, the fear," he said.
The 59-year-old, like almost all the victims, was in west Altadena - an area that received no warnings until hours after the fire had engulfed the community.
Los Angeles County's after-action fire report found a series of weaknesses including outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities.
When an evacuation is ordered, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department is responsible for making sure residents get out safely. But for so many of the fire victims, the biggest fault lies in the ignition of the deadly blaze.
"It is painful to think that our equipment may have been involved. We still don't quite know what happened," said Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison.
Pizarro has acknowledged they are likely to blame.
As the investigation continues into the towers at the center of the cause, Pizarro says they are increasing efforts to reduce future risk.
Crews are now working on installing nearly 40 miles of power lines underground in Altadena. When that work is finished, nearly half of the community's lines will be buried.
For Calvin, who has become a prominent voice in Altadena, rebuilding the community comes with a focus on a safer future.
"To be a standard to change all these systems that have failed us so other communities do not have to go through this."
