Altadena began as a place of promise and growth. Tracing its history to 1858, Don Benito Wilson and Dr. John Griffin bought the land for its water, using it to grow grapes and citrus.
Overtime, Pasadena separated the neighborhood from its agricultural roots– pulling in families from across the country looking for new opportunities in the west. Altadena became a distinguished community by late 1887 and was envisioned to be a millionaire suburb of Pasadena but that plan was thwarted by the real estate crash of 1888 which lasted into the 1890s.
Through the 1920s, Altadena citizens and the ranchers built up the area to be a booming scene of agriculture and business. This attracted business moguls from Chicago and other large Midwestern cities because of the beautiful climate and its proximity to Los Angeles. They built large homes for rich families to escape to as well as retirement homes because of the location’s admirable qualities.
These were not the only people moving into Altadena. Good public transportation in and out of Pasadena and Los Angeles made it possible for working families to easily get to their jobs allowing working class people to live alongside the extremely rich. This filled the area with artisans creating a unique culture in the district.
In the 1940s and 50s, economic growth for the United States during the second World War allowed people to own their own homes more readily creating a large population boom. Altadena’s population was about 96% white, with growth fueled by modernization and Cold War-era economic expansion. The 1960s and 70s brought significant social changes, including the Civil Rights Movement, anti-Vietnam War protests, and local challenges like school integration lawsuits and freeway development, leading to widespread white flight. “In a shifting mosaic of ethnic diversity over the past 40 to 50 years, virtually every Altadena neighborhood has become mixed racially, although the west side remains more diverse and working class” as described by Michele Zack. As a result, Altadena’s demographic shifted, with many new residents being people of color.
Altadena’s rich history cultivated a beautiful community with a strong past built on hard working citizens. This is seen through the lifelong resident, Rick Arthur. Rick Arthur is a “retired newsman in Los Angeles from the now-defunct Los Angeles Herald to being at the early beginnings of Fox News. He was editor of Pasadena and Glendale newspapers” as described by his former coworker, Kimberly Gomez. When asked about what he saw during the Kinneloa Fire, he teared up, saying that everything was “all gone”.
In October of 1993, tragedy struck. The Kinneloa Fire started as an escaped camp fire but due to the dry conditions of the area as well as the force of the Santa Ana winds, spread out into the Angeles National Forest and Altadena neighborhoods. This fire caused the destruction of 196 structures and 1 fatality in its first day burning but, thanks to change in weather patterns and the effort of over 2,000 firefighters, the fire shifted towards the forest and was completely contained and extinguished 5 days later.
This fire still devastated the Altadena community. Although the fire was unfathomable to the residents, Arthur states that the fire affected the community “for the better,” and that previous to the fire, the community was “not talked enough about and the diversity and culture that the city holds hasn’t been captured”.
When asked about the emergency services responses, Arthur recalls them as being “world class, five star,” also recalling that “at the end of [his] block there were big fire trucks on twelve hour shifts watching [his] street”.
Despite the tragedy, the community grew stronger– looking out for one another and checking in when something came up. Arthur describes this new found responsibility saying he, “[thinks] more neighborhood watch groups were formed”. He describes how the part of Altadena that had “dodged the bullet” of the Kinneloa fire became “much more aware” of their surroundings becoming watchful for one another and fortifying the community.
According to The Los Angeles Times, “Altadena’s draw has been the seclusion it offers, nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, straddling the line between urban and wild. For others, it’s been the community where Black residents sought refuge decades ago amid the legacy of defunct racial redlining. And then there has always been Altadena’s sense of freedom and creativity that gave rise to an artists’ enclave, such as the Bunny Museum.” Whatever may have drawn them in, this town North of Pasadena created a magical combination of solitude and community for more than 42,000 residents.
In Altadena, affordable prices made ownership a reality. Nearly dozens jogged together on Tuesdays and Thursdays as part of a running group that had been formed during the pandemic” Residents often visited Christmas Tree Lane during the winter time. The town council made it certain that they were working on balancing progress while making certain that gentrification wouldn’t force out long time Altadenans.
On Tuesday, January 7th, the Eaton fire created an end result of destroying more than 9,300 structures and has killed at least 17 people. The fire has upended a cherished way of life in the eclectic community. As Altadenans reel from the devastation, many wonder whether their rebuilt town will retain its soul.
In certain parts of Altadena, entire blocks were completely demolished. Whereas in other parts, scattered homes had burned while others were spared. The Altadena Country Club, known for its annual firework shows, was decimated after more than 100 years. The buildings at the nearby Altadena Golf Course were also gone. The “Greetings from Altadena” mural on North Lake Ave. remained untouched, while so many essentials surrounding it went up in flames. The hardware store, the historic coffee shop, churches, schools and grocery stores. All lost. “I just don’t understand how an entire town can be reduced to rubble,” Victoria Knapp, council chair, said. “Altadena is never going to look the same. Even when we rebuild, it’ll never be what it was.”
Residents looked for miracles in the fire’s aftermath as they walked up and down Santa Rosa Avenue, known to residents as Christmas Tree Lane. The street surprisingly survived, along with plastic, colorful Christmas lights still hanging on the massive deodars. “I imagined these trees would be totally burned down,” said Haris Elamin, who has lived near the lane since 1975.
This “Greetings from Altadena” mural that survived the fire perfectly encapsulates some of what the town represented. Within the letter “D” is a portrait of Charles White, a local artist who conveyed Black history in his work. In the “E” is Octavia E. Butler, a science fiction author buried at an Altadena cemetery that caught fire. Inside one “A,” an image of the Mount Lowe Railway shows the town’s rich history. And in another “A” and “T” are photos of Christmas Tree Lane. The letter “N” stands for a land of beauty and wildlife. From The Los Angeles Times, “Knapp, a native Pasadenan who moved to Altadena in 2011, described the town as quirky, irreverent and “maybe a little feral in the best possible way.” There are few curbs and sidewalks. People on horseback trot through residential streets and the McDonald’s drive-through.”
Unlike Pasadena, Altadena has no police or fire department; residents rely on county resources. “There are very proud legacy generational families in Altadena that have passed their homes down from family member to family member that have very strong opinions about Altadena never changing versus a number of new families who have moved up into the area because it is quote-unquote more affordable than Pasadena in some places,” Knapp said. “We have to allow for some progress but we cannot force out legacy Altadenans.”
Residents are no strangers to these wildfires, they’ve lived through the Bobcat fire along with the Kinneloa fire in 1993. But with this Eaton fire, weather conditions offered a precise recipe for a disastrous fire triangle, said John Dumas, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard. A wildfire needs fuel, oxygen and heat to thrive. Winds were blowing up to 70 mph, making it nearly impossible for air attacks on the fire. Embers were being spread up to two-three miles down stream. Unlike the Kinneloa fire, which took days to reach some people, this fire took a matter of hours.
As many gathered with their neighbors on the streets looking at the aftermath of the fires, they hugged and cried. Although those whose houses survived felt “survivors’ guilt, there was no sense from [the] other neighbors that anyone was undeserving of having their house standing.” said Knapp. Instead, she said, “it seemed as though there was comfort in the idea that there would be a reason to rebuild.“
The difficult process of determining the next steps will likely start when evacuation orders are lifted, houses are cleaned up, and the devastation lessens. The National Guard arrived on Thursday night, January 9th, blocking people from their homes. Most companies intend to rebuild, but it’s harder to say for residents. Many are scared that if they leave, their homes will be up for sale. Many residents are afraid of gentrification ruining the town’s relic energy. Those who don’t have a steady income may possibly have a difficult time getting back into the community. There’s much talk about a fear of the racial diversity of Altadena disappearing due to this issue. For now, residents are trying to focus on people being safe. There are some streets that have put up love letters on trees still standing. In bright red paint, a message on a poster board shone: “We love you, Beautiful Altadena.” “The residents of Altadena and the businesses of Altadena are the heartbeat,” Knapp said. “To that end, we will recover. We’re not dead, we are not dying. We feel that way for sure. But the heartbeat goes on. I truly do feel that way.”
