Black residents mourn lost homes, history as wildfires scorch Altadena
“All that stuff that you thought was so important can be gone in five minutes.”
As several massive wildfires tore through the Los Angeles area this week, residents of a historically Black community were left mourning lost homes they’ve owned for decades.
The Eaton fire has burned more than 13,000 acres in Los Angeles County, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. The blaze, one of multiple active wildfires, has ravaged the quiet suburb of Altadena, destroying more than 4,000 structures. Analysts project the wildfires will be the costliest in U.S. history, with economic losses of up to $150 billion, dwarfing the $30 billion caused by the 2018 Camp fire in northern California.
Walt Butler, an 83-year-old who has mentored youth and advocated for the homeless in the Altadena and Pasadena communities for decades, lost the home he purchased over 60 years ago in the fire.
“I lost all of my awards,” said Butler, a former star athlete nicknamed “The Jet.” “Important letters like from coach George Allen of the Rams and things like my Denver Broncos contract.”
But he remains undeterred.
“I'm gonna get back on my feet, and I'm even more motivated to help others out,” Butler continued, mentioning he wanted to thank everyone who has checked on him.
“When you escape tragedy, and really look at it, you say, ‘it could have got me.’ It didn’t. So I’m going to keep on going.”
Oren Waters, whose Altadena home of 50 years was destroyed in the fire, said it still doesn’t feel real.
“It’s still so new that when I wake up, I think, ‘OK, I can go home and put on my shoes and my suit,’ and then you realize, you ain’t doing none of that. That stuff is burnt and gone,” Waters said.
The 75-year-old, who created the prolific background singing group The Waters with his siblings, lost his collection of music and memorabilia.
“All my studio equipment is gone. My gold albums are gone. You can't do a redo. It's over. So our challenge becomes now how to let stuff go,” he explained. “All that stuff that you thought was so important can be gone in five minutes.”
“Your challenge becomes how do I get past that doggone moment and look to what God can do to supply new memories.”
In the 1960s, Altadena was primarily a white suburb. Black Americans were generally prevented from living there and in neighboring Pasadena due to restrictive racial covenants. As a result of social upheaval, urban renewal, and white flight during the era, a flurry of Black residents — like Shaw’s parents — saw opportunity. They were able to buy homes in the suburb, creating Black enclaves with thriving communities.
Many of those homes, some of which were owned by Black families who left the Jim Crow South during the Great Migration, were burned to the ground.
“Those homes represented resilience, strength and courage,” said Nabou Ramu, a journalist from Inglewood who has family in Altadena. “I've been thinking about the health of these people because mostly everybody living in Altadena is older. No elder should experience this level of heartbreak. That can kill somebody alone.”
If you wish to help, here’s the Displaced Black Families GoFundMe Directory.
At least six people have died in the Eaton fire. One victim, Victor Shaw, was found dead with a hose in his hand in an attempt to save the Altadena home his parents purchased over five decades ago.
“The house had a whole lot of significance for him,” a neighbor told The New York Times of Shaw, who had lived in the home since 1965. “His parents had always had it.”
Generations of families have been affected by the wildfires. The Williams family, 20 relatives living within walking distance of one another, lost all eight of their homes.
“It’s absolutely surreal,” Ellen Williams told KTLA 5. “Like nothing you could ever imagine, not just personally but for the community that we’ve been in for over 50 years. It just felt like being in a war. This was my property and yet the only thing standing is a [metal] gate.”
Social media has been vital in spreading awareness about the tragedy. Minnie Robinson, an Altadena resident, can be seen in a viral TikTok standing where her house once stood.
“I have been here for over 40-something years. But thank God I'm here. I will rebuild better than ever. And I thank the Lord to be here. To be able to rebuild. God is good all the time.” the 83-year-old said.
Efforts to help rebuild the lives of the displaced are already underway. A spreadsheet with the GoFundMe pages of affected Altadena families is making the rounds on social media. Shelley Bruce, artist, community organizer and founder of wellness platform The Heart Dept, has been using their platform to share resources and promote fundraising efforts for families.
“It's important as a Black community to make sure that we're taking care of each other because there's so much research on how these devastating catastrophes disproportionately affect us as Black people,” said Bruce, a fourth-generation Black Angeleno with family and friends in Altadena.
“We’re often the ones who have to fight the hardest to even own property. And then when we lose them to things like this, we’re often the most at a loss.”
Yet Bruce remains hopeful. People have shown up for Altadena’s victims. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for families who’ve lost everything.
“It's a very tragic moment but also a really hopeful one because the movements we've been growing as a Black community have been so present that we're ready to activate right now,” Bruce continued. “We're ready to ensure that these people are restored to the best of our abilities.”
When asked about the impact of the fires, Bruce’s voice trailed off slightly.
“It’s hard to put into words. It’s unfathomable. But it’s also really a unique moment of hope to watch how we're coming together.”
What I’m Reading
For BET, Yesha Callahan wrote about the history of Altadena and the Black families that have shaped the community for decades…
For Capital B, Adam Mahoney wrote about how recovery will present unique challenges for Altadena…
States were forced to ratify Black citizenship in 1868. It's illegal.
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