Pasadena City College donation and distribution event, Jan. 10, 2025 (File Photo – Melissa Michelson)
Eighteen months after the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures across Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre, the Eaton Fire Collaborative (EFC) says its network has grown to more than 215 member organizations as recovery efforts continue across the region.
By News Desk
The coalition serves as the area’s official Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG), coordinating services through 12 committees covering areas including disaster case management, wellness, and arts and culture. According to EFC, the committee structure is intended to help survivors access resources through a single coordinated system.
EFC began as a donation-sorting effort at Pasadena City College in the days following the Jan. 7 fire, organized by local community leaders. The coalition expanded to approximately 80 organizations by its March 2025 launch at the Rose Bowl and surpassed 200 organizations by the October 2025 opening of its recovery hub, known as the Collaboratory. The organization said it modeled its Long-Term Recovery Group on recovery structures used after the Camp Fire in Paradise and the Maui wildfires.
Organizers attribute the coalition’s growth and the pace of recovery to the region’s longstanding community connections and nonprofit network. They argue the area’s recovery has been faster than that of other modern megafire disasters, though that comparison was not independently substantiated in the information provided.
EFC’s governing board includes fire survivors, longtime community leaders and nonprofit representatives. Organizers said disaster recovery experts have commented on the level of survivor involvement in the coalition’s leadership compared with other large-scale disasters.
Organizers also point to Altadena’s history as a factor in the community’s response. They note that the community became one of the few in Los Angeles County exempt from racially restrictive housing covenants during the mid-20th century. According to the organization, Altadena’s population changed from about 95% white in 1960 to roughly 43% Black by 1980. Independent analyses cited by EFC estimate Black homeownership in Altadena today between 70% and 81%, compared with a national average of about 44%.
The organization also cited the area’s existing nonprofit infrastructure, noting that the Pasadena Community Foundation has supported more than 100 regional nonprofits annually since 1953 and that more than 400 registered nonprofits operate in the area.
“We are survivors helping survivors,” said Bree Jensen, Eaton Fire Collaborative vice chair, during the opening of the Collaboratory.
One survivor in their 70s described fleeing an Altadena home on foot as flames entered the house, losing family photographs and heirlooms. After connecting with the Collaboratory months later, the survivor said they recently submitted rebuilding permits.
“The Collaboratory offered me a sense of human connection in the middle of what felt like a war zone,” the survivor said.
According to EFC, during its first 18 months the coalition and its member organizations have served more than 30,000 people, directly supported more than 10,000 Eaton Fire survivors, expanded to more than 215 member organizations, and recorded more than 6,000 monthly visits at the Collaboratory.
Separately, data from Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office show more than 1,025 homes are under construction in the Eaton burn area, with approximately 3,000 rebuilding applications filed and about 2,000 permits issued.
EFC officials said many residents remain displaced and continue to face insurance challenges. The organization also highlighted advocacy efforts by member organizations, including Every Fire Survivor’s Network, which it said helped advance insurance reform bills SB 877 and SB 878 through the California Legislature in 2026. Other member organizations, including Altadena Rising, Dena Rise Up and Eaton Fire Residents United, continue to advocate on rebuilding and recovery issues.
As recovery efforts continue, EFC said its next phase will focus on long-term housing stability, sustained investment and ongoing rebuilding support.
“Recovery happens together,” said Bree Jensen, EFC public information officer, former LTRG vice chair and an Eaton Fire survivor. “No survivor should have to navigate this alone. That’s the story of Altadena.”
This version follows a conventional news style by distinguishing verified facts from attributed claims, removing promotional language, and preserving direct quotations as quotations.
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