Editor’s Note:This article was featured in the Special Edition of Eaton Fire, which was officially released in print on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
Kevin Salazar delivering clean water to Rob and a neighbor (Photo – Melissa Michelson)
Rob Caves and his partner Larsen Mendoza were elated to see the orange Home Depot buckets their friend brought them: “Clear water!” they exclaimed.
By Melissa Michelson
They walked their empty wagons half a block to Woodbury to meet fellow model train aficionado, Kevin Salazar, at the National Guard checkpoint to retrieve the water for sponge baths and hand washing.
Though the water is back on in the area and residents were told it is safe to use though not drink, they believe it could still be contaminated. “You guys need help, or are you ok?” offered the National Guardsman as they hauled their loot back up the road.
Most of Altadena was still under mandatory evacuation as gas lines were turned off, electrical wires are repaired, and search crews look for human remains. The area north of Woodbury and New York is still blocked off to residents and the general public.
Rob feels his neighborhood is no longer in harm’s way from the Eaton fire. Like other neighbors, who entered before the newer stricter evacuation orders and 6pm-6am curfew were mandated, he is concerned about looters. On Friday at a house on Alameda, there was an attempted break-in, but the looter got away before the police arrived a few minutes after the call was made by the resident.
The House with the Model Trains
Rob and Larsen’s home is on Christmas Tree Lane where the majority of the homes– and all the trees– have survived intact. With a handful of other families in the area, they returned to their home after a harrowing night of evacuation to protect it from looters and further threat of fire. They haven’t left since. If they leave, they will not be allowed back in.
Rob and Larsen’s home is best known as the house with the expansive model railroad displays in their backyard. They open them every year for free to the public on Christmas Tree Lane’s annual tree lighting evening.
The model train community came together to help save Rob’s home of 15 years. On his way home from work at 7:30 am, when Kevin saw Lake Avenue on fire, he immediately drove to Rob’s house. No one was home, so he called Rob, and started to hose down his property until Rob and Larsen returned.
Six more members from the Model Railroad Society answered Rob’s “Code Red.” They came to hose down the property as the fire continued to rage out of control, destroying the westside of Altadena.
Rob’s post in an Altadena Facebook group (Photo – Screenshot)
Hunkering Down with Community – a Network of Neighbors
A week since the horrific night of Eaton Fire has destroyed the community of Altadena. There is still no electricity in Rob’s area. According to SCE’s power outage status webpage, there are 8936 power outages, which according to the 2020 Census Data, is over half of the total Altadena housing units (16,063).
Residents in the evacuation area who’ve returned to their still-standing homes early, consider Rob to be the ‘fulcrum’ for getting food into the area. Supplies like clean N95 masks, fuel for electric generators, extra battery packs to charge cell phones, and canisters to run camping stoves also appear. They either pick them up at his house, or Rob delivers what they need to them. “We’re just doing what we can to help people and take care of ourselves,” he said.
When Rob isn’t getting supplies to other neighbors, he’s tidying up the neighborhood and cleaning up his yard, which is full of leaves and hamburger-sized burnt embers. Tomorrow Rob intends to deliver diabetes-friendly food to a neighbor that lives on the other side of Lincoln, also within the taped-off area.
Rob plans to wait until the evacuation orders are lifted before he leaves his area again. “It’s better to be an extra set of eyes and hands for people, which is more important than going back to work and getting our lives back,” he said. While I was visiting Rob, another neighbor who preferred to stay anonymous, had walked two blocks and brought him ramen. The neighbors stay connected on a group chat.
“I’m just sorry we didn’t know each other sooner,” Rob lamented. “This is the way it should be,” said his neighbor. Neighbors helping neighbors.
Writer’s note: Of all the foothill communities, the city of Altadena has suffered the most from the Eaton Fire. This article goes out to neighbors watching out for each other.
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