The Waiting is the Hardest Part
The first two weeks after the fire meant waiting in lines for lots of things - mail, food, water, registering for aid. Although the lines were long I found people were generally OK with waiting. It was an opportunity to talk and share experiences coming through the fire and the questioning oftentimes went like this:
Where did you live?
Was the power on or off?
What time did you leave?
Where are you staying?
Is your house standing?
Do you think you’ll rebuild?
Often after those general questions were answered, people started sharing other information they had learned, like ensuring you reached out to Red Cross, suggesting people head to the Disaster Recovery Center, who had a clothing drive, who was offering discounts on items for fire victims.
Finally, the conversations turned to sharing what it is we love about Altadena and our hopes to return. I have to say that I made some new friends while standing in different lines, fellow siblings in sorrow, but unified in the love of our town.
Hanging out at the “Altadena” Post Office
The Altadena Post Office burned down in the Eaton fire, so all of Altadena’s mail was diverted to Pasadena for pickup. In those first few weeks, the north end of the parking lot of the Pasadena Post Office became a quasi-social gathering spot for Altadenans while waiting for your address to be called out to receive your mail. I made several new friends, connected with work colleagues and caught up with old friends while waiting for mail before I put in a forwarding address.
Standing in line for aid with the Cal-Fire Foundation
The lines were long but most people were OK with waiting. I made a new friend, a recently retired lawyer who gave me great advice and shared her harrowing experience escaping the fire and helping an elderly neighbor evacuate.
Public Works Waiting Area, Altadena Disaster Recovery Center
I had to wait a little over an hour to turn in my Right of Entry form at the Altadena Disaster Recovery Center. I kept looking around because I had worked in that building a few decades ago when it was leased by JPL.
Everyone at the center was very helpful and patient working with people in varying levels of shock. I remember a woman sat next to me incredibly stressed because she was trying to fill out her Right of Entry form and couldn’t remember her Assessor Identification Number from her Property Tax ID. I helped her by using my phone and looking it up on the site. She calmed down and told me of her escape from the fire, how she had lost everything but was determined to rebuild because she had lived in Altadena all her life and was determined to get back. I saw several people around us nodding their heads in agreement. Altadena is a special place and we’re not ready to give it up.
Bottom line - the waiting was hard, but it was a great opportunity for people to share their stories of escape, memories of their homes, and hopes for the future. Listening to my fellow Altadenans helped me understand that we are all going through this together and remain hopeful that many will be able to call Altadena home once again. Here’s a shout-out to the new friends I made while standing in lines and to my fellow Altadenans: We may be down right now, but we cherish the memories of our wonderful space up against the foothills. We remain Altadena Strong!