Thursday, January 8, 2026

County Launches New Website That Provides ‘Lessons Learned’ from Wildfires’ Recovery

Los Angeles County has launched a new website marking one year since the 2025 Eaton and Palisades wildfires that provides a look back at the fires’ impact, a progress report on accomplishments over the last 12 months, and lessons learned.

The newebsite is located online here.

The website includes video messages from Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey P. Horvath reflecting on the fires’ impact and the recovery process.

It also features videos highlighting residents’ rebuilding journeys, including the first family in West Altadena to complete their rebuild and receive a certificate of occupancy.

According to the county statement, the site provides an overview of financial assistance for residents, businesses and workers, as well as lessons learned and new programs implemented to strengthen emergency preparedness and response.

The website also highlights LA County Forward: The Blueprint for Rebuilding, which outlines the county’s all-sectors recovery approach in partnership with state and federal agencies, private industry, philanthropy and community organizations.

Thursday, January 8, 2026

California’s New Senate Leader Wants Democrats United. A Budget Shortfall Could Divide Them

By Maya C. Miller, CALMATTERS

As California legislators return to Sacramento and prepare to tackle a budget deficit, all eyes are on new Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón of Santa Barbara and what tone she sets for her chamber.

Limón, 46, a progressive backed by labor unions and the first Latina to lead the Senate, will face arguably her greatest legislative challenge yet as she and her diverse caucus grapple with a daunting projected $18 billion state budget deficit and historic federal funding cuts from the Trump administration.

While Limón has yet to announce any cost-cutting strategies or impose any limits on lawmakers introducing bills that require new money, the scarcity of funds will likely force the new leader to focus on a few key priorities, a premise she resisted in a recent interview with CalMatters.

“Our caucus will continue to prioritize issues that our communities prioritize,” Limón said,

Thursday, January 8, 2026

More Than 2,000 Books Delivered to PUSD Campuses Marking One Year Since Eaton Fire

One year after the Eaton Fire, costumed Justice League members appeared at Altadena Arts Magnet to read to students.

They were among guest readers who visited Pasadena Unified School District classrooms as part of a districtwide partnership with Teamsters Local Union 986, which organized the guest readers and helped bring the literacy events to life. More than 2,000 copies of Home: A Story of Resilience were delivered to PUSD campuses this week. The book, by author Carrie Barnes, explores what it means to heal and find a sense of home after hardship.

Guest readers across the district included author Carrie Barnes at Sierra Madre Elementary, actor Melora Hardin at Don Benito Elementary School, and Chris Holden of LA Fire Justice at Jackson Elementary. Each visit centered around hope and encouraged student engagement.

“It was incredibly moving to share Home with students who understand resilience in such a personal way,” Barnes said. “Being able to read my book with PUSD students,

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Congresswoman Chu Renews Push for Eaton Fire Disaster Aid

One year after the Eaton Fire “forever changed the communities of Altadena and Pasadena,” Rep. Judy Chu honored victims and renewed her push for federal disaster assistance to help local survivors recover, according to a press release from her office.

Chu spoke on the House floor to honor the victims and demand federal disaster assistance.

She also partnered with Rep. Brad Sherman, Sen. Adam Schiff and Sen. Alex Padilla to introduce a resolution honoring all the lives lost in the Eaton and Palisades fires, commending the heroic actions of first responders and underscoring Congress’ commitment to helping Southern California communities rebuild.

The resolution is cosponsored by all 41 additional House Democrats from California.

While the release notes that “tremendous progress has been made in our community’s recovery,” it says federal disaster assistance is still needed to support long-term recovery. Families, it said, “have already waited a year while rebuilding costs rise, housing shortages deepen, and displacement assistance expires.”

Chu’s statement said that President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans “have a duty to help communities devastated by natural disaster,

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Pasadena Groups Join Immigrant Workers Marking Wildfire Anniversary With Call for Safety, Protections

Immigrant day laborers who helped clear debris, deliver emergency aid, and restore homes after the Los Angeles wildfires one year ago will gather in neighboring Altadena on Friday for a press conference and day of service, an event organizers say underscores both their essential role in rebuilding and the ongoing threats they face from ICE enforcement. The announcement comes from a press statement issued by participating organizations.

The gathering marks one year since the L.A. wildfires and will highlight demands for full protections for workers doing dangerous remediation work, accountability from insurance companies and corporations that continue to profit while working-class families are left behind, and an immediate end to immigration enforcement in disaster-impacted communities. The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), the Pasadena Community Job Center, Fire Poppy Project, the DENA Soil Project, Community Compound, SoilWise, Evolve Altadena and Metabolic Studio — all working on Altadena Earth Commons — are organizing the event.

“Rebuilding will happen, and it is impossible to do it without migrant labor,” said Pablo Alvarado,

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Altadena Small Business Recovery Fair Set for Jan. 8, One Year After Eaton Fire

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity will host the “Small Business Pop-Up Fair: Recovering Together” on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Loma Alta Park Gymnasium in Altadena, offering recovery services one year after the January 2025 wildfires, according to event materials.

The free event, co-sponsored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the LA County Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, marks the one-year anniversary of the fires and takes place one year and one day after the Eaton Fire began at 6:18 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2025.

According to the Department of Economic Opportunity, the fair will provide one-on-one technical assistance from community business organizations; on-site sign-ups for the Shop Local LA County Gift Card Program; commercial permitting assistance; information on new capital and grant programs; pro bono legal aid; and hiring and training incentives for youth and permanent staff. A Shop Local LA County marketplace featuring Altadena-based small businesses is also planned.

Several county agencies and partner organizations are scheduled to provide services,

Thursday, January 8, 2026

More Than $15 Million Directed Toward Fire Relief By Recording Academy Charity

One year after devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles communities, the Recording Academy charity MusiCares has directed more than $15 million toward fire relief efforts, officials announced Wednesday.

The amount includes $7 million deployed in the immediate aftermath of the fires to address urgent needs, along with ongoing recovery support. In total, more than 3,200 music professionals have been reached through direct financial assistance, health and wellness services, and long-term recovery throughout the region, the charity said.

Funds raised during the 2025 Grammy Awards telecast, MusiCares’ Persons of the Year event and additional fundraising efforts were used to help deal with housing instability, interrupted income, physical health complications and ongoing trauma.

Additional funds were directed to community partners, including California Community Foundation, Direct Relief and Pasadena Community Foundation, supporting broader recovery efforts in neighborhoods hardest hit by the fires, according to MusiCares.

While many music professionals reached out for support immediately after the wildfires, others needed time to understand what help they needed and to assess their losses.

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Rare Book Fair Returns to Pasadena Following Wildfire Disruption

Rare Books LA will return to Pasadena on February 21-22, marking the first major antiquarian book fair in the city since devastating wildfires forced the cancellation of the competing California International Antiquarian Book Fair nearly one year earlier. The event has sold out all exhibitor spaces across two historic venues in Old Pasadena.

More than 70 to 80 booksellers from international locations including London, Melbourne, Paris, Vienna, and New York will occupy the Raymond Theatre at 129 North Raymond Avenue and the Courtyard by Marriott ballroom at 180 N Fair Oaks Avenue.

“Rich in history and culture, the Raymond Theatre is the perfect venue to feature the world’s leading booksellers,” said Rare Books LA Director Jodi Tolan. “It’s Coachella for book lovers!”

The fair fills a significant void created when the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America cancelled its 57th California International Antiquarian Book Fair on January 13. The Pasadena Convention Center was taken over by the Red Cross and FEMA for 30 days to manage wildfire recovery efforts.

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Pasadena Humane Completes the Largest Rescue Mission in Its History

The shelter helped 1,500 animals. Fewer than a dozen now remain in care—owned by families still searching for pet-friendly housing.

THERESE EDU

One year ago, on the evening of January 7, 2025, the Eaton Fire ignited above Altadena. By the time it was contained, Pasadena Humane had completed what the California Community Foundation called the largest emergency animal rescue operation in the shelter’s more than 100 years of operation.

The organization helped 1,500 animals affected by the fire, according to CCF, which provided grant support through its Wildfire Recovery Fund. The grant enabled the shelter to purchase additional kennels and oxygen cages for animals suffering from smoke inhalation, and to convert meeting and training rooms into temporary boarding spaces, the foundation reported.

On the first night of evacuations, the shelter accepted more than 100 animals. By 6:30 p.m. on January 8, that number had grown to more than 300, Pasadena Humane reported.

“We are a different organization than we were January 6th of 2025,”

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

After the Cameras Leave: Altadena Recovery Leader Fears a “Forgetfulness Factor”

One year after the Eaton Fire, mental health has become the most sought-after service at the community’s recovery hub—and the man who leads it, who lost his own home, fears people will forget.

THERESE EDU

Antonio Manning lost his home in the Eaton Fire. One year later, he chairs the Eaton Fire Collaborative Leadership Council, the governance body that oversees the Long-term Recovery Group, where mental health services have become, in his words, “highly sought after.”

“I think the mental health piece is one that is highly sought after,” Manning said in an interview ahead of anniversary remembrance events scheduled this week.

The Collaboratory, a recovery hub on Woodbury Road that Manning helps lead, has become the center for long-term recovery efforts for fire survivors. The hub, located at 540 W. Woodbury Road, opened October 7, as the first permanent physical location for fire survivors seeking services. Pasadena Community Foundation, California Community Foundation, and other funders provided $975,000 to secure the site and launch operations.