Altadena Fire Survivors' Stories Reach UCLA Classroom

KBLA radio host James Farr to deliver guest lecture on preserving community narratives after devastating Eaton Fire.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 12:52pm

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph in soft pools of warm color and light, capturing the mood of a community gathering or rebuilding effort after a devastating fire.The raw, emotional stories of Altadena fire survivors will be preserved and shared, honoring the community's resilience and expertise.Altadena Today

The raw, unfiltered accounts of Altadena fire survivors and displaced families that KBLA radio host James Farr has been recording for over a year are headed to a UCLA graduate classroom. Farr will deliver a guest lecture as part of the university's Urban Humanities Initiative, drawing from his firsthand observations and conversations with residents still navigating the rebuilding process after the devastating Eaton Fire in January 2025.

Why it matters

The invitation to share these community narratives at UCLA signals an important shift in how institutions engage with and validate lived experiences, especially for marginalized groups like the historically Black west Altadena neighborhood that was hit hardest by the fire. By preserving these stories, the project aims to create a living archive that can inform recovery efforts and provide a resource for future scholars and the public.

The details

Farr, host of the 'Conversation Live: Altadena Rising' radio program, will present a lecture titled 'What We Witness. What We Honor. What We Record. What We Pass Forward.' The graduate-level course is part of UCLA's Urban Humanities Initiative, in collaboration with cityLAB-UCLA. The Altadena Historical Society and the Bob Lucas Memorial Library have also been active partners in the effort to document the community's experiences.

  • Farr launched 'Conversation Live: Altadena Rising' on March 8, 2025, roughly two months after the Eaton Fire.
  • The Bob Lucas Memorial Library reopened in August 2025 after a 16-month renovation.

The players

James Farr

Host of KBLA Talk 1580's 'Conversation Live: Altadena Rising' radio program, who has been recording firsthand accounts from Altadena fire survivors and displaced families.

Veronica Jones

President of the Altadena Historical Society, a 60-year west Altadena resident and the organization's first Black president. More than half of the society's 17 volunteers lost their own homes in the Eaton Fire.

Bob Lucas

A longtime advocate for west-side library access in Altadena, who spent decades pushing for the reopening of the Lincoln Avenue branch after it was forced to close due to Proposition 13. The Bob Lucas Memorial Library was named in his honor in 1991.

cityLAB-UCLA

A collaborative research and design initiative at UCLA that has been engaged in Altadena's recovery efforts since the Eaton Fire, including presenting exhibitions on the living legacy of Black Altadena and Pasadena.

Urban Humanities Initiative

A graduate certificate program at UCLA that centers this year on the theme 'Care as Critical Spatial Practice,' and is hosting Farr's guest lecture as part of the curriculum.

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What they’re saying

“For so long, community knowledge has been treated as anecdotal or secondary. When institutions engage with our stories, it signals that lived experience is expertise.”

— Veronica Jones, President, Altadena Historical Society

“KBLA and Altadena Rising are creating a living archive. These conversations aren't polished or filtered — they're raw, emotional, complicated, and honest. That's exactly what makes them historically valuable. They are documenting the community in real time: the frustrations, the resilience, the organizing, the grief, the wins. Years from now, people will be able to look back and hear directly from the folks who were actually on the ground, not just the official statements.”

— Veronica Jones, President, Altadena Historical Society

“These stories will live on for students, scholars, and anyone seeking truth. Because history isn't just made — it's honored, recorded, and passed forward.”

— James Farr

What’s next

The UCLA course is part of the Urban Humanities Initiative's 2025-2026 graduate certificate program, and students are developing a reimagined, place-based guided experience inspired by Altadena's historic home tours.

The takeaway

By preserving the raw, unfiltered accounts of Altadena fire survivors, this project aims to create a living archive that validates the lived experiences of the community, especially the historically marginalized west Altadena neighborhood. The invitation to share these narratives at a prestigious institution like UCLA signals an important shift in how academia engages with and honors community knowledge.