"My biggest concern on the morning of Jan. 7, 2025, was the wind. By 7 p.m., people were voluntarily evacuating parts of east Altadena and north Pasadena, right below the canyon, as the wind-driven fire exploded and began its destructive western march, eventually tearing a six-mile path across the whole of Altadena. I headed out into the windstorm on foot, around 8:30 p.m."
"After two decades as a reporter in Southern California, I've seen how the Santa Anas can turn a modest brush fire into a virtually unstoppable destructive force that will erase neighborhoods. But this one felt different. There was a fury in the wind that I'd never experienced. And this was my own community. Murphy chose to stay behind after the fire, to mop up hot spots and protect the house from looters. Everyone else in the neighborhood was gone."
On Jan. 7, 2025, a wind-driven fire fueled by Santa Ana winds raced through east Altadena and north Pasadena, creating a six-mile destructive path. Residents voluntarily evacuated by early evening as the blaze exploded below the canyon and moved west. Strong, unusual gusts intensified the fire and made it feel more furious and uncontrollable than prior regional fires. Some residents stayed behind to protect property and mop up hot spots. A 94-year-old mental health therapist who has lived in her home 64 years had her house saved by her sons and plans to rebuild in West Altadena but is waiting to feel the land heal first.
Read at Kqed
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