A new UCLA study found that the Eaton fire disproportionally impacted Altadena’s Black community and that systemic inequality and redlining contributed to fire vulnerability.
The study, released on Tuesday, Jan. 28, made six findings touching on the current impact of the fire, how history played a role and what future steps need to be taken in the wake of the devastation.
“Altadena’s Black community has long served as a symbol of resilience and opportunity in the Los Angeles region, but the Eaton Fire exposes how decades of segregation and the legacy of redlining practices have left Black households more vulnerable,” Lorrie Frasure, a professor of political science and African American studies who directs the Bunche Center, said in a news release. “The recovery process must acknowledge this historic legacy and the disparities stemming from it to provide tailored support that ensures the restoration and future of this vibrant community.”
Since its outbreak on Jan. 7, the Eaton fire has destroyed more than 9,000 structures, burned about 14,000 acres and killed at least 17 people.
According to the study, at least 2,800 Black households had to evacuate within a day of the fire starting. In addition, 61% of Black households in Altadena were within the fire perimeter compared to 50% of non-Black households. Almost half of Black households were destroyed or majorly damaged compared to 37% for non-Black households.
The UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge and the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute combined to publish the data brief.
Segregation and redlining, which led to a growth in the Black population in Altadena, also led to a concentration of Black households in the areas of Altadena that were closest to the Eaton fire zone.
Jasmin Shupper, founder and executive director of the Greenline Housing Foundation, which fights racism in housing, said the Black homeownership rate in Altadena is almost double the national average.
The study found that 57% of Black homeowners in Altadena are aged 65 and over compared to 38% of the overall population. As home prices increase there has been a decline in new Black homeownership prior to the Eaton fire.
UCLA’s study affirmed what many already knew.
The trends, coupled with displacement from the fires, have local officials concerned.
“The longer they are gone, the more likely they are not going to come back,” Pasadena City Councilman Tyron Hampton, whose city district borders Altadena, said last week. “We need to do whatever we can to keep all of these families here.”
Hampton suggested that helpful policies will help stem that flight from the area. They included forbearance without interest on mortgages; property taxes based on what people were paying before; more aid for homeowners and renters who did not have insurance; and incentives for homeowners to build ADUs that would house those displaced.
“Right now, our community is being split up,’ he said of local residents. “You have some staying at hotels. Some saying at family friends… .”
The study concluded that future recovery efforts must take this context and the challenges facing Altadena’s Black community into account when allocating resources.
“The Eaton Fire has the potential to accelerate the decline of Altadena’s Black community, erasing generations of progress,” Frasure said. “Policymakers and relief organizations must act swiftly to protect the legacy and future of this historic community.”