Surveying the damage in Pasadena, California
I spent the morning surveying damage from the Eaton fire.
This also was a survey of my hometown. I was raised in Pasadena, California, but on the other side of town from the fire (which damaged the city's northeast corner, I'm from the southwest). I also went up and down streets across Altadena, the unincorporated community north of Pasadena, where the fire did its worst. The above photo is of the remains of a house off Mount Curve Avenue in Altadena.
These are roads I've known all my life. I saw the now destroyed homes of childhood friends. I fought back tears watching at the now decimated Pasadena Jewish Temple, where my three sons attended pre-school.
I'm not ready to write in detail about all of this now. But this fire--and the giant fire that consumed the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, 30 miles west of here—is a Democracy Local story.
A planetary force—fire, strengthened by climate change—hit local jurisdictions. And the localities didn't have the capacity and governance to protect themselves.
More to come in the days and weeks ahead.
