Thursday, January 9, 2025

At Press Conference, Officials Give Key Updated Details About Devastating Eaton Fire

STAFF REPORT

Pasadena City, Los Angeles County and State officials gathered outside the Pasadena Convention Center at 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon to detail the devastating details and impact of the Eaton Fire, which erupted around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive and has grown to over 10,600 acres with zero containment. The wildfire is unprecedented in Pasadena in modern times.

“We have experienced a tremendous tragedy here in our community,” Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo said at the press conference. “To date, we have over 100,000 people under mandatory evacuation. We’ve had five fatalities, and then we have close to another hundred thousand people who have been warned to evacuate because they’re in a danger zone.”

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin confirmed between 200 and 500 structures have been damaged or destroyed by the wind-driven blaze, which saw gusts reaching 70-plus miles per hour and ember casting two-plus miles ahead of the fire front.

The rapid spread,

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Damage to Pasadena Unified School District Campuses

STAFF REPORT

Pasadena Unified campuses damaged, extent not known

Pasadena Unified School District campuses have suffered fire damage, however the full extent of the damage and the number of campuses involved has yet to be determined. Pasadena Unified School District spokesperson Hilda Ramirez Horvath said that the damages are still being assessed and she will share the information as soon as possible.

Pasadena Now reporter Eddie Rivera saw and photographed the heavily damaged Aveson Charter School campus, as well as a destroyed Aveson school bus.

Rivera also photographed Eliot Arts Magnet, which had suffered extensive damage.

Earlier, Rivera drove by Pasadena High School but could not observe fire damage.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Pasadena Community Foundation Launches Fire Relief Fund

STAFF REPORT

Longtime local nonprofit the Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) has established an emergency response fund to assist those affected by the Eaton Canyon fire. The foundation announced the creation of the “Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund,” seeding it with an initial $100,000 to address community needs.

“We have all been glued to the news watching the devastation of the Eaton Canyon fire to our neighbors. My heart goes out to all who have been impacted by this disaster,” said Jennifer DeVoll, President and CEO of the Pasadena Community Foundation.

The fund “will provide an opportunity for those who want to support immediate and longer term needs,” according to the foundation’s announcement. PCF emphasized that “100% of contributions will provide essential relief.”

The foundation, which serves as “a vital resource for the greater Pasadena area in California,” has operated since 1953. It has “evolved into a nonprofit public benefit corporation dedicated to improving the lives of people in the Pasadena community,

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Pasadena Unified Closes All Schools For Rest of Week

Evacuations impact District Service Center, disrupt meal programs amid Eaton fire crisis.

The Pasadena Unified School District announced that all schools will remain closed for the remainder of the week due to the ongoing impact of the devastating Eaton fire and mandatory evacuations.

This morning, District officials were briefed by the City of Pasadena Emergency Operations Center regarding the fire’s progress and its continuing impact on the community.

“With so many students, staff, and families affected by the devastating Eaton fire and mandatory evacuations, we know this is an overwhelming and difficult time for everyone. Our hearts are broken for everything that our beloved community is enduring. But we know that our community is strong, and together, we will get through this,” Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said in a statement to the PUSD community.

The District Service Center, where school meals are stored, is under mandatory evacuation, leading to the suspension of Grab-and-Go meal centers until further notice.

District officials are working with the city to find resources for affected families.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

National Weather Service: High Winds Will Continue Much of Wednesday

NWS forecasters said fierce winds and gusts will continue in Pasadena today, predicting the core of the low-level jet stream will move southward during the day, gradually reducing wind speeds.

However, they caution that winds will remain at warning levels until early evening, with a notable decrease expected late morning.

“Widespread damaging north to northeast winds and extreme fire weather conditions will continue through mid-afternoon,” the weather service said.

Despite the intense winds, Wednesday will be sunny with a high near 70 degrees.

Evening conditions are expected to improve, with mostly clear skies and temperatures dropping to around 45 degrees. Wind speeds will decrease to 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Eaton Fire Rampages Through Altadena and Pasadena Burning Dozens of Homes, Forcing Massive Evacuations

1,000 acres burned so far

[Updated]  The fast-moving Eaton Fire continues to rage in Altadena and Pasadena on Wednesday morning, forcing widespread evacuations and school closures while destroying an unknown number of homes and other structures. 

The Eaton Fire was reported at about 6:20 p.m. in the area of Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the hills above Altadena, according to Cal Fire.

One of the structures that was destroyed in the fire was the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center, NBC4 reported.

Initially dubbed the Close Fire but later changed to the Eaton Fire, the blaze was initially estimated at about 10 acres, but it quickly exploded across 200 acres, then to 400 acres by 8 p.m. Tuesday, driven by Santa Ana winds that prompted critical fire danger warnings throughout the region. As of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Cal Fire reported the fire was 2,227 acres and was 0% contained.

The fire expanded rapidly during the late night and early morning hours —

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

FEMA Fire Management Assistance Granted for the Eaton Fire

STAFF REPORT

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region 9 Administrator authorized the use of federal funds on January 7 at 9:00 p.m. to assist the state in combating the Eaton Fire, currently burning in Los Angeles County.

On January 7, the State of California submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). At the time of the request, the fire was threatening approximately 8,200 homes in and around Altadena and Pasadena, California, population 40,000.

The fire started on January 7, and has burned in excess of 300 acres of state and private land.

FMAGs provide federal funding for up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs. The Disaster Relief Fund provides allowances for FMAGs through FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to become major incidents.

Eligible costs covered by FMAGs can include expenses for field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies and mobilization and demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire. For more information on FMAGs,

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Hellish Wednesday Dawns in Altadena and Pasadena

The Eaton Fire destroyed dozens of homes as thousands evacuate

Pasadena and Altadena suffered a hellish night of loss and fear as fierce winds pushed fires into residential neighborhoods and burned dozens of homes.

Houses of worship were not spared by the flames, which have now consumed 1,000 acres. The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center was badly burned.

Thousands were ordered to evacuate, many of whom headed towards the Pasadena Convention Center, which was designated as an evacuation center. Some reportedly refused to leave their burning neighborhoods before police required them to do so.

Late Tuesday afternoon winds crescendoed and sparked a large number of fires, at one point igniting a dozen fires around Pasadena in less than 1 hour.

Now dawn is approaching and the full devastation will soon be in sunlight. This was a night many feared might someday happen, but most never believed it could.

On Wednesday, winds will continue to incite the Eaton Canyon flames,

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Fires, Windstorm Force Suspension of Transit Services in Pasadena

Pasadena Transit announced Wednesday the suspension of all public transportation services due to severe weather conditions.

The transit agency confirmed that both regular bus routes and Dial-A-Ride services would cease operations on January 8, with essential medical transportation being the sole exception.

“Pasadena Transit and Dial-A-Ride (except essential medical trips, if conditions allow) are suspended Wednesday January 8, 2025 due to hazardous windstorm event,” Pasadena Transit announced.

The agency indicated that regular service could potentially resume on Thursday, January 9, depending on weather conditions.

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Pasadena Unified School District Schools Will Be Closed Wednesday

The Pasadena Unified School District announced Tuesday night that all schools will close Wednesday.

Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco, Ed.D., made the announcement, citing the need to evaluate and repair storm damage across district campuses.

“The safety of our community is our top priority,” Blanco said in a statement to district families. “With the volatility of the high-wind event affecting our area, increasing reports of wind damage, and a fire near Eaton Canyon, in an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to close all schools.”

The closure comes as city officials consider declaring a state of emergency due to weather impacts.

The district will continue monitoring conditions before making a decision about reopening schools. Officials plan to update families on January 8 about the status of schools.

To ensure students who depend on school meals don’t go hungry, the district will provide grab-and-go meals at three locations.

Families can pick up food between 10 a.m. and noon Wednesday at Madison Elementary,