Community leaders and fire victims have come together to ensure the rebuilding efforts after the Eaton fire in Altadena are done fairly and with equity. Mekahlo Medina reports for NBC4 at 4 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2025.
Altadena community leaders and fire victims rallied together Friday to ensure the rebuilding efforts after the Eaton fire are done fairly and with equity.
Faye Austin, an 88-year-old Altadena resident, lost her small home on Crosby Street in the blaze and was forced to evacuate to a Red Cross shelter.
“I’ve been there ever since,” said Austin. “I’ve been there a week and I think it’s 5 days now.”
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Donny Kinecy, an Altadena resident who also lost his home in the Eaton Fire, was one of hundreds of people who came out to advocate for the thousands of others struggling after the fire.
“Everything burned, my home, everything that I worked hard for is gone,” Kinecy said.
Kinecy, whose family has been in Pasadena since they were forced out of Tulsa during the race riot a century ago, said he is worried about how the black community will be affected by the destruction.
“I know this is an opportunity people will try to capitalize on,” Kincey said. “I’m not going anywhere, I’m fighting.”
The community is looking to ensure residents take precedence over developers or speculators and help those neighbors like Austin, who need it the most.
“I did have one day that I broke down, but it was just one day and all the rest I have been trying to be as upbeat as I possibly can be," said Austin.
