They were forgotten amid the frantic evacuation of two senior care facilities, according to state investigators, leaving the elderly women in immediate danger as the smoke and flames of the Eaton fire drew closer. In two reports published recently by the California Department of Social Services, investigators describe the harrowing circumstances of three women who were left behind in the assisted living facilities during the deadly Jan. 7 fire.
When January 2025's Eaton fire raged through Altadena, just outside of LA, Good Neighbor bar had only been open for less than two months. Owned by Randy Clement, his life partner April Langford, and Emely Cubias, the bar became one of the few businesses that remained standing in the aftermath of the blaze. The Eaton fire destroyed over 9,400 structures. Along with the Palisades fire, it became the costliest natural disaster in US history with more than $250 billion in damage.
Before the fire, Lucy's Place would come alive in the morning. Gardeners and day laborers would come by for a morning pastry or breakfast burrito and coffee served up by owner Juan Orozco, who arrived at 5 a.m. to prepare. If he had to step out, his regulars would take over and serve coffee to customers, he said.
Before anyone received an official alert about the Eaton fire, a message lit up a pickleball group chat. "Everyone look up, there's a vegetation fire on Canyon Close," the message read. "If you're anywhere near Eaton Canyon, I'd evacuate." Over the next several days, the chat of about 50 people who met regularly at the Altadena Country Club pinged with updates about where the fire was headed, pleas to evacuate, offerings of safe-havens and status updates on what was lost.
"If the investigation into the cause of the wildfire, which is currently ongoing, finds SCE liable, the resulting claims may be substantial enough to fully exhaust the Fund," officials who administer the fund wrote in a draft of the annual report.
We've collected more than 400 firsthand accounts of delays, denials and underpayments from insurance companies. Certain tactics have revealed themselves. One of them is constantly rotating adjusters.
Many residents of west Altadena feel victimized twice by the January firestorm as massive destruction occurred and delayed evacuation alerts exacerbated the situation, resulting in 17 deaths. They believe that this delay was crucial in the tragedy that unfolded in their community. Despite the outrage surrounding the delayed alerts, including an ongoing investigation into county officials, no lawsuits have been filed against the county. Residents considered legal actions against the county; however, worries about jeopardizing settlements with Southern California Edison, which they are already suing, caused many to abandon their claim.
Alice's Kids is outraged and heartbroken over the failure of Shawn Lasley, owner of Wize Guy Entertainment, to provide limousine services - for which he was paid $4,320 - services meant to give 24 deserving high school students affected by the Eaton wildfires a special and memorable prom night.
Cleanup efforts following the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires are underway, but an ongoing concern is swimming pools in the two burn zones, many of which contain stagnant water that has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes that can carry diseases.
An idle Southern California Edison transmission tower was dismantled, removed and flown away via helicopter Wednesday so it could be tested to determine what, if any, role it played in igniting the devastating Eaton fire.
