Devastating images have been left in the iconic celebrity neighborhoods near Malibu. However, a fire of similar size has also hit communities that are not as media-friendly as that of Changedin East Canyon, north of the city. Altadena is a neighborhood where they have resided black and Latino families for generations and is also popular among young artists and engineers who work at NASA’s nearby rocket lab, drawn to the small-town atmosphere and access to nature.
“They didn’t help us here. I don’t know where everyone was”he explained Jocelyn Tavares32, while his sister and daughter found in the rubble of their house a half-melted child’s bicycle and a lone cup miraculously saved from the flames. Several residents of this suburb told Reuters they did not see any fire trucks in the early hours of Wednesday as they fled the flames engulfing their community, fueling resentment that his neighborhood was not a priority.
Inez Moore40, whose family home in Altadena has been destroyed by flames, believes communities like his are likely will suffer more financially than the richer suburbs, because many people they don’t have the resources or the experience to navigate complex bureaucratic systems. “There will be some people who are not going to get as much as they deserve, and some people who may receive more than they really need“said Moore, a professor at California State University.
Despite the widespread destruction, many locals were optimistic that the community will rise from the ashes. Michael McCarthy68, a City of Los Angeles employee, said his home was saved by a neighbor who risked his life by staying behind after everyone else fled, using a hose to spray water on their roofs. “I know that this community will rebuild, we all know each other here, we all love each other“said McCarthy, who will retire this year.
