Thursday, February 26, 2026

New Walking Group Draws 50 Altadena Residents to Post-Fire Community Outing

[Photo courtesyof Matthew Rahban]

Free monthly club founded by a crisis counselor turned construction liaison aims to rebuild neighborhood bonds

More than 50 Altadena residents walked together through their neighborhood on February 15, the first outing for a new community walking group created to help neighbors reconnect more than 13 months after the Eaton Fire.

The Altadena Walk Club, a free monthly group, was founded by Mathew Rahban, who served as a crisis counselor for fire survivors before becoming Client & Community Relations Director at Rahban Development, his family’s Beverly Hills-based construction firm that has been rebuilding homes in Altadena. Rahban said the group was created to give residents a low-barrier way to move and reconnect in a community still recovering from a fire that destroyed more than 9,400 structures.

Participants — families with children, residents with dogs, community members of various ages — gathered at Unincorporated Coffee on Lincoln Avenue before walking toward Good Neighbor Bar and back, according to a press release announcing the event.

“After the fire, many people experienced disruption to their routines and daily lives,” Rahban said. “The walk club creates a consistent opportunity for people to get outside, move, and reconnect with their neighbors.”

The walk is designed to be accessible rather than strenuous, open to all ages and fitness levels, Rahban said.

Rahban holds a master’s degree in coaching and leadership from UCLA and previously worked with individuals with developmental disabilities and coached youth basketball before the January 2025 fires drew him into crisis counseling. He joined Rahban Development, founded by Alex Rahban, to serve as a liaison between the firm and Altadena fire survivors navigating rebuilding, according to the company’s website.

The Eaton Fire ignited January 7, 2025, and tore through the Altadena foothills, destroying 9,418 structures and killing at least 19 people before it was fully contained on January 31, 2025, according to Cal Fire and the California Department of Justice.

More than a year later, rebuilding has been slow — a UCLA study published in October 2025 found that most homeowners had not yet begun reconstruction.

The Altadena Walk Club meets every third Sunday of the month at 9:30 a.m. Locations change and will be announced in advance. Attendance is free, and no RSVP is required. For questions, contact Rahban at mathew@rahbandev.com or 310-808-5864.

The next walk is March 15.