PASADENA, Calif. () — Dozens gathered Saturday evening along Lake Avenue in Pasadena for a special memorial to honor the lives lost in the Eaton Fire.
“I thought it was important for me and our family to come out and remember the people who lost their lives, and so many others that are suffering right now because of the fire,” said Altadena resident Tony Gronroos.
The catastrophic destruction of the Eaton Fire fueled by strong winds stretches across the historic community of Altadena. Officials now say the fire destroyed 9,300 structures.
“It’s unbelievable, actually unbelievable,” said Pasadena resident Jaker Kim.
As more evacuation orders and road closures are lifted, more residents are returning home. For those who have little to return to, the painstaking process of sifting through the rubble begins.
For the Nazarian family, a few special treasures survived. They never thought their home in Mendocino Street – far from the foothills – would ever be in danger.
“After crying a little bit, you get the energy to get up and kind of say, ‘Ok, let’s sift through the things. Let me find one little thing,’ and today, we had a great few moments,” said Maral Nazarian.
A curfew remains in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas, with only firefighters, law enforcement and utility workers allowed in those zones.
The Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres in Altadena and Pasadena since breaking out Jan. 7, and for many, it’s just about taking it one day at a time.
“We’ve seen many fires here in the foothills, so I told her, ‘By the time our house burns down, the whole city is going to burn down,’ and that’s actually what happened,” said Esteban Nazarian.
City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.
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