LOS ANGELES, County–As crews of firefighters in Los Angeles County work to put out the record-setting blazes, hundreds of Black residents of Altadena have lost their homes in the Eaton Fire.
Sparked by dry vegetation, nearly 100 mph winds and low humidity, five destructive fires have been reduced to three as local, state, federal and international support has come to aid L.A. County in extinguishing the embers.
The Palisades fire (14 % contained), Eaton fire (33% contained) and Hurst fire (89% contained) remain active as of Monday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
For residents of Altadena, the community represents one of the few places in California where Black residents were free to own homes during redlining and segregation. Boasting a population that is over 30% Black, Altadena has long stood out as a middle class haven for Black Americans seeking to establish generational wealth.
With the Eaton fire decimating over 14,000 acres and over 1,000 structures, families were forced to flee their homes and all their belongings.
“I lost everything. From a guy with everything to nothing,” local sports legend Coach Walt Butler, 83, said through tears in a video shared by Revolt TV. “I spent my whole life helping people, and I didn’t think it would happen to me, but it did. But I have my health and my life.”
Now, Butler and other Altadena residents are hoping fellow Americans will support their effort to rebuild their lives. A spreadsheet that includes GoFundMe links for over 400 of these families is circulating widely on social media.
What’s next for Altadena and L.A. County?
In total, over 2,500 California National Guardsmen have been deployed to L.A. County, Gov. Gavin Newsome announced Sunday. He’s also signed an executive order allowing residents to sidestep permitting requirements and price gouging to allow residents to rebuild faster.
The constant social media updates haven’t stopped people like Elon Musk and other right-wing disseminators of misinformation from spreading fake news.
“CA did NOT cut our firefighting budget. We have nearly doubled the size of our firefighting army and built the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet. CA has INCREASED forest management ten-fold since we took office. California will NOT allow for looting,” Newsome tweeted.
Like the response from FEMA to misinformation surrounding hurricane relief efforts in Florida and North Carolina, California has created a new website to combat misinformation in an increasingly divided country.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has issued a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning for Ventura and L.A. Counties from Tuesday morning through noon on Wednesday. NWS predicts wind gusts between 45 and 70 mph will impact the area, creating even more hazardous conditions for firefighters in Altadena, many of whom are incarcerated with extremely low pay.
“I am urging [Newsom] to do what no Governor has done in 4 decades, and raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to a rate [that] honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes, Kim Kardashian posted on IG Saturday night.
Nearly 50,000 people in L.A. County remain without power. At least 24 people have been killed in the L.A. County fires.
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