Latinos in Altadena Mourn Their Community: "It's Not Only the Rich and Famous Getting Burned"

Thirty years ago, the García family decided to set roots in Altadena. Today, their tight-knit community seems like a distant memory as unprecedented wildfires engulf entire neighborhoods in Southern California.

As of Sunday morning, at least 16 people have died, and more than 100,000 residents have been forced to evacuate. According to state authorities, as many as 10,000 structures have been destroyed by the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire.

"It's a nightmare. My soul and my heart ache. Everything is gone. Houses, schools, churches, banks. Everything," Teresa García, who is originally from Poncitlán, Jalisco, a small town in Central Mexico, told The Latin Times. Teresa and her husband had settled in Altadena because many people from her small town lived there. They lost everything as well.

The García family evacuated their home on Monday, but not because of the Eaton Fire—at least, not initially. "Every year, the Santa Ana Winds hit our area, and we were afraid a big tree might fall on our house, so we decided to stay at a hotel," explained Mayte García, Teresa's daughter. "We had heard about the Eaton Fire, but we never thought it would reach our home," she added.

By Tuesday, with just a change of clothes, their wallets, and their dog, they left their house, unaware it would be the last time they saw it intact. "I woke up at 5 a.m. on Wednesday to check my phone and saw that the fire had already reached our neighborhood," Mayte recounted.

At 8 a.m. the family drove toward their neighborhood only to find the streets leading to their home blocked. Some neighbors were evacuating while others stayed behind, desperately throwing buckets of water from their roofs in a last-ditch effort to save their homes—but it was all in vain. "Every single house on our street burned down," Mayte said.

"It's blocks and blocks of houses burned to the ground. So many neighbors, friends, working class people. We all lost everything," Teresa added. "It's not only the rich and famous getting burned."

A few blocks away, their neighbor, María Flores from Mexcaltitan, Nayarit–an autonomous indigenous community in Mexico–also lost everything. At 2 a.m. on Wednesday an evacuation alert sent to her cell phone by local authorities woke her family up.

"We got out of the house in that same instant with only our pajamas and slippers," she recounted. "Our neighborhood looks like a dynamite field."

The family initially found refuge in a Pasadena shelter, but they had to leave due to heavy smoke that went into the building. "The smoke caused my chest to ache. They gave us face masks and water, but it didn't help," she said.

Both María and Teresa told the Latin Times that their community has been an invaluable lifeline during what they described as a "living nightmare." Neighbors kept them informed with videos and updates about their homes, while family friends launched GoFundMe campaigns and swiftly provided clothes and other essentials. "We are so grateful for our community," Teresa said.

Amid the many gestures of support, one of the most remarkable came from Teresa's tenants, who helped save a small apartment complex she and her husband own. "They climbed onto the roof and poured water on the flames," she said. "They called my husband and assured him they would stay as long as they could." The tenants, primarily construction workers, have even offered to rebuild the García family's home free of charge.

Meanwhile, the Flores family has found temporary refuge in a friend's home, while the García family is staying at their eldest son's house in Pasadena, located just 20 blocks from the Eaton Fire at the time of the interview. "We've heard the fire is getting closer—it hasn't been contained," Teresa said. The family expressed frustration over the state's apparent lack of resources and water to combat the fire.

About 8,000 fire personnel are responding to multiple fires in the region, with the Eaton and Palisades fires being the largest. Together, the fires have scorched approximately 35,000 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

Firefighting efforts have been hindered by unusually dry conditions and strong winds, which have grounded firefighting aircraft. The National Weather Service reported wind speeds have slowed down, but they "will still be strong enough to be of concern" in the coming days.