GUEST OPINION
A West Altadena property, 2026 (Photo – W.K.)
As a Black woman, former Altadena resident, and someone whose family and community were directly impacted by the Eaton Fire, I am deeply offended by the conclusions presented in this consultant report and by the framing of The New York Times article suggesting there was “no bias” in the response to West Altadena. My husband and I lost everything in the fire, our home, our belongings, and our sense of stability. We are still struggling through the painful realities of being underinsured by State Farm while trying to rebuild our lives.
By Suzanne Madison
Historic West Altadena, one of the few thriving Black middle-class communities established during an era of redlining and housing discrimination, suffered devastating losses during the fire. Many residents did not receive evacuation warnings in time. In fact, my husband and I never received an evacuation order at all. We were left to make life-and-death decisions on our own as conditions rapidly deteriorated around us. Elderly residents were left vulnerable. Black families were forced to flee under chaotic and terrifying conditions with little direction, limited communication, and no clear sense of safety. They let our community burn down to the ground.
To now suggest these outcomes were merely the result of “confusion” or “limited resources” dismisses the lived experiences of those who survived this tragedy and the families of those who did not.
The question that remains unanswered is this: Why were affluent neighborhoods on the east side of Altadena evacuated earlier, while historic West Altadena — a historically Black community — was left to fend for itself? These outcomes cannot simply be dismissed while expecting the public to believe race played no role in the failures that occurred.
Whether due to negligence, incompetence, systemic bias, or a complete breakdown in leadership, the consequences for families in West Altadena were deadly. Those responsible for overseeing evacuation planning and emergency response should be held fully accountable, including through personnel review and termination where failures in duty are identified.
The history of Black families in Pasadena and Altadena cannot be separated from this conversation. The construction of the SR-710 and 210 freeways displaced generations of Black families, businesses, and communities. Many Black residents were pushed into West Altadena because racist housing covenants and discriminatory real estate practices restricted where Black families could live in Pasadena. For decades, Black residents endured systemic racism, segregation, displacement, and exclusion, yet our community still built strong neighborhoods, churches, businesses, and generational wealth.
This report, along with comments from Supervisor Kathryn Barger suggesting the community should simply move on and “look toward the future,” reflects the same dismissive attitude Black residents have faced for generations. Healing cannot begin without acknowledging the truth. To minimize what occurred in West Altadena sends a clear message that leadership is more interested in protecting institutions than confronting the painful realities experienced by West Altadena families.
Equally troubling is that a consultant-driven report commissioned by the very institutions under scrutiny is now being used to absolve government agencies of accountability. Across the country, particularly in parts of the South, we continue to witness efforts to weaken Black political power through redistricting battles, judicial decisions, and systemic inequities that undermine communities of color. This report feels connected to that same broader pattern: minimizing the voices, pain, and lived realities of Black communities while shielding institutions from responsibility.
Our community is not asking for sympathy. We are demanding honesty, accountability, and structural change. The people of West Altadena deserve a fully transparent and independent review of what occurred during the Eaton Fire, including evacuation timelines, emergency response decisions, communication failures, and the disproportionate losses suffered within the historic Black community.
History matters. Black communities matter. West Altadena matters.
Suzanne Madison is an Eaton Fire survivor and community advocate.
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