Friday, January 30, 2026

Exhibit Transforms Eaton Fire Survivors’ Stories Into Immersive Experience

Julie Riddle standing on her property

Stunning, immersive experience opens on display Saturday

Forty-nine people who lived through the Eaton Fire will have their stories told in an unusual way beginning Saturday: not on a screen to be watched, but in an immersive installation to be walked through, reflected upon, and felt.

The free exhibit, called “Ashes and Echoes: Voices of the Eaton Fire,” opens January 31 at the Pasadena Convention Center and runs through February 3.

Revolving around concepts of home and hope, the exhibition is anchored by massive projections of oral history narratives by Project Director Hrag Yedalian and cinematographer Emrys Roberts where survivors of the Eaton fires share their intimate stories of survival and hope in dramatic clips.

Tyrone Owens standing on his property (left) and a mass of melted coins he recovered from the ashes of his home (right), 2026

Large-scale photographs by curator and photographer Ara Oshagan expand the visual narrative in haunting portraits of survivors, their survivor objects and stories. Connecting these threads is an innovative installation by artist Gegham Sarksyan, “The House that Hope Built”, that speaks to home and resilience and hope. Completing the exhibition are objects that Steven and Lina “Peaches” Tavani rescued from the fires.

Developed by Pasadena-based documentary filmmaker Yedalian, who spent more than a decade preserving Holocaust testimonies at Steven Spielberg’s USC Shoah Foundation, the project applies that same methodology to the fire that killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 structures in Altadena one year ago. All 49 interviews will be archived online in perpetuity.

Jaunita West Tillman (left) and her home address plaque that she recovered after the fires (right), 2026

The exhibit, sponsored by the legal advocacy organization LA Fire Justice, uses large-format screens, ambient sound design, and art installations to present curated segments from oral history interviews with fire survivors. Visitors experience the stories by moving through the space rather than simply viewing them.

“It wasn’t only physical structures that were lost — it was the stories, memories, and history behind those places that made Altadena a beloved community for so many,” according to a statement from LA Fire Justice, which has offices in Pasadena and represents fire victims in litigation.

A ring LaShonda Riddle recovered from the ashes of her home and LaShonda Riddle standing on her property (right), 2026

Yedalian filmed each interview in 6K using a three-camera setup at LA Fire Justice headquarters in Pasadena. Subjects include lifelong Altadena residents, Pasadena Unified School District employees, and community leaders whose homes suffered damage or destruction. Among them is Chris Holden, the former state assemblymember and Pasadena mayor who now serves as CEO of LA Fire Justice.

The project follows a model that Yedalian learned at the USC Shoah Foundation, which has collected nearly 52,000 testimonies from Holocaust survivors and witnesses since its founding in 1994. That organization’s methodology emphasizes preserving complete interviews in searchable archives accessible to future generations.

Virginia Robbins (left) and the her wedding cake topper she recovered from the ashes of her home (right), 2026

“These stories will be preserved in perpetuity through an online portal where the interviews will be publicly accessible and searchable,” according to LA Fire Justice.

The Ashes and Echoes interviews will be available permanently at youtube.com/eatonvoices and through the project’s Instagram and Facebook pages @eatonvoices.

Exhibit hours:

• Saturday, January 31: 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Grand Opening Premier: 10 a.m. to noon)
• Sunday, February 1: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Monday, February 2: 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 3: 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Admission is free, and RSVP is not required. The Pasadena Convention Center is located at 300 East Green Street Parking is available on-site for $15 to $20. The venue is accessible via the Del Mar A Line Metro station.

LA Fire  Justice advertises in Pasadena Now.