Published in our printed SoCal Now. Dorothy Wong is a member of the Altadena Town Council.
Janes Village was known as LA County's first affordable housing tract, we loved our home and lived there for the past 23 years. During that time we worked on our fire resilience. Water capture bioswales, native plant landscaping; we put oak trees in the back and were growing more. The owls landed hooting into the night in the deodar trees that were planted at each of the Janes homes 100 years ago. 2025 was the centennial anniversary, We were going to have a block party this summer. Sadly most of the homes were lost in the fire.
The amount of devastation seems immeasurable, entire blocks of homes gone while simultaneously 1 or 2 stand in the wreckage seemingly untouched. Water, power, gas utilities are being restored but there is a long road ahead, especially concerning our water infrastructure. Rebuilding or leaving is going to be the way forward, and will play out differently family to family.
Altadena transitioned from Indigenous lands to an agriculture settlement, to ranch homes for the rich, fell into poverty during the great depression, and a combination of historic redlining, white flight, housing COVID economics, and gentrification brought a diverse community into the foothills. Generations of black homeowners alongside small business owners, creatives, and nature lovers gathered together at the base of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains.
In the end most are hopeful. The kindness and love we've long shared in our community is even stronger and we are working on the process to recovery. While Altadena has experienced fire, we’ve never been touched to this extent. I pray for the families of the loved ones lost - 17 at the last count - most elderly and disabled.
Our diversity was our gift but also left us slow to change. What kept us funky compromised our resiliency in the face of very real fire danger. And that makes me upset in that way. Being one of the largest unincorporated areas of Los Angeles 118 miles of roadway over 8.4 sq miles we lacked infrastructure and planning implementation. Multi-benefit solutions were slow if at all.
Climate/Fire resilient planning never found its way. I find hope in Altadena, in finding our way to strong-towns, connection, multi benefit solutions and together to find strength of our diversity into the future.
Unity in the community conversations and concepts are already brewing. This tragic event is a call to action and an opportunity to reinvent an Altadena full of creativity and passion for what we love. Art, Engineering, Nature lovers, and storied long time residents.