Altadena Fights for Attention, Post-Fire Justice After Pacific Palisades Dominates Headlines

West Altadena, a historically Black, working-class community, has often been overlooked in the aftermath of the L.A. fires.

Feb. 22, 2026 at 11:00am

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The Los Angeles firestorm of January 2025 devastated both Pacific Palisades and Altadena, but the national conversation has focused more on the Palisades fire, leaving the working-class, predominantly Black community of west Altadena feeling overlooked. Residents of west Altadena faced delayed evacuation alerts and a lack of fire resources, resulting in 19 deaths, but officials have yet to take responsibility. After months of activism, the California Attorney General has now opened a civil rights investigation into the county's response, a major win for the Altadena community.

Why it matters

The disparities in the fire response between more affluent areas like Pacific Palisades and the historically marginalized community of west Altadena highlight longstanding issues of inequality and lack of accountability for communities of color after disasters. The Altadena community's fight for justice and transparency sets an important precedent for how underserved communities can demand accountability from officials.

The details

Investigations found that west Altadena did not receive evacuation alerts until the fire had already arrived, while more affluent areas were promptly warned. Additionally, almost no fire trucks were deployed to the west side of Altadena as the inferno raged. Nearly all of the 19 people who died in the Eaton fire lived in this area, which also saw some of the most widespread damage. Officials have failed to provide a detailed explanation for these failures.

  • The Los Angeles firestorm occurred in January 2025.
  • In the fall of 2025, Republican members of Congress launched an investigation into the L.A. fires, but it only focused on the Palisades fire.
  • In January 2026, the California Attorney General announced a civil rights investigation into how L.A. County prepared for and responded to the Eaton fire in Altadena.

The players

Earl Ofari Hutchinson

President of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable.

Shimica Gaskins

An Eaton fire survivor and member of Altadena for Accountability, a grassroots group that called for the state investigation.

Gina Clayton-Johnson

A leader of the Altadena for Accountability group and a victim of the Eaton fire.

Sylvie Andrews

A member of Altadena for Accountability and an Eaton fire survivor.

Rob Bonta

The California Attorney General who announced the civil rights investigation into the Eaton fire response.

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What they’re saying

“If you just dropped in from another planet and you didn't know and you started looking at L.A. wildfires … you would think the only area that was hit was Pacific Palisades.”

— Earl Ofari Hutchinson, President, Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable (Los Angeles Times)

“Historically marginalized communities have always had to fight to have their issues be seen and recognized.”

— Shimica Gaskins, Eaton fire survivor and member of Altadena for Accountability (Los Angeles Times)

“We really wanted a systemic approach. That requires maybe not a knee-jerk blame game but something different.”

— Gina Clayton-Johnson, Leader of Altadena for Accountability (Los Angeles Times)

What’s next

The California Attorney General's civil rights investigation into the Eaton fire response in Altadena is expected to provide more answers and accountability for the community. Residents are also still fighting for just insurance compensation, admissions of wrongdoing from Southern California Edison, and a thorough environmental cleanup.

The takeaway

The Altadena community's persistent fight for justice and transparency in the aftermath of the 2025 Los Angeles fires sets an important precedent for how historically marginalized communities can demand accountability from officials when disaster strikes. Their efforts to ensure their community's experiences are not overlooked highlight the ongoing challenges many communities of color face in the wake of crises.