Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Seven Months, Few Answers

Frustrated Eaton Fire survivors call out State Farm at ‘Dena Rise Up’ rally in Altadena

Seven months after the devastating Eaton Fire tore through neighborhoods in Altadena and northeast Pasadena, dozens of homeowners, renters, and activists gathered in front of a local State Farm office Tuesday to demand answers — and justice.

The rally, along with music from Los Jornaleros—a familiar sight in Altadena and Pasadena—was organized by the “Dena Rise Up” coalition, as both a protest and a community vigil, part of a new monthly campaign that organizers say will continue “on or near the 7th day of every month, for as long as we need to.”

Their message was clear: survivors are still struggling, and insurance companies, especially State Farm, are failing to deliver.

“For my mother, it’s been a nightmare,” said Eshelle Williams, whose family lost four homes in the fire.

“She had paid her State Farm premiums for decades — they were included in her mortgage — and yet we found out, only after the fire, that her policy had been canceled months earlier without clear notice. She was left bouncing between hotels and Airbnbs while we waited over two months just to get a letter from State Farm so she could apply for FEMA assistance.”

Williams’ mother has since been hospitalized three times.

A sister gave up her own rental to make room.

“Mom is 75, and still doesn’t know if she’ll be able to return to Altadena, where she’s lived for over 50 years,” Williams said.

“State Farm needs to stop causing harm and start honoring their policies.”

The gathering, attended by members of more than a dozen local and statewide organizations, including NAACP Pasadena, My Tribe Rise, CHIRLA, and the Pasadena Tenants Union, spotlighted the broader crisis fire survivors face: delayed or denied claims, lost paperwork, changing adjusters, and a widespread sense of abandonment.

“People are being sent from one adjuster to another, telling their story over and over again,” said Jose Moreno of NDLON.

“Many are underinsured, some are uninsured and didn’t even know it. After seven months, they’re still not getting anywhere.”

Tuesday’s event also served as a call to action for elected officials across all levels of government.

Florence Annang, who is a Vice President of the NAACP Pasadena Branch, and Lead Organizer/Board Member for Pasadenans Organizing for Progress (POP!), urged the crowd to “look at the faces of State Farm’s board members,” as demonstrators held up large photographs of the executive board members of State Farm Insurance.

“These are the people really making decisions that affect lives here,” Annang said.

“It’s not just this office. It’s policy coming from the top.”

Annang outlined specific demands: no-interest rebuilding loans, waived permit barriers, comprehensive soil and air testing in burned areas, and remediation funding for renters and homeowners alike.

“We must prevent predatory real estate grabs, protect affordability, and stop ICE from terrorizing our Latino workers during recovery,” she said.

“We’re calling on Pasadena, LA County, the state, and the federal government to act.”

Faith leaders lent their voices as well.

Pastor Clare Ferguson Bravo of Rose City Church in Pasadena delivered a passionate address linking the insurance crisis to a broader moral failing.

“This is not merely a bureaucratic failure. This is a moral crisis,” she said.

“Justice means treating renters and working families with dignity. Mercy doesn’t look away. Mercy leans in. And walking humbly means power must serve the common good — not quarterly profits.”

Douglas Quinn, executive director of the American Policyholders Association, echoed that concern, warning of a national trend.

“What’s happening here is happening all across the country,” Quinn said.

“Insurance has shifted from a model of indemnification to one of profit extraction — and regulators are asleep at the wheel. People here did everything right. They bought insurance. They paid their premiums. And they’ve been betrayed.”

Dena Rise Up, which includes nearly 20 community groups, says Tuesday’s action is just the beginning.

They plan to return monthly with renewed focus on the struggles of renters, immigrants, business owners, and low-income families.

“Our rebuilding must reject old patterns of exclusion,” said Annang.

“Altadena and Pasadena will rise — but only if we rise together.”

The next demonstration is expected to take place in early September.