Altadena has a “special sauce,” explains resident and architect Steve Lewis. This unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, nestled at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, is recognized for its small town feel, diversity and bohemian vibe.

It’s long been a haven for Black Angelenos who were unable to buy property elsewhere in LA due to redlining practices in. Artists like Charles White moved there. So did novelist Octavia Butler.

Not far from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Altadena’s has been home to scientists and artists alike — nurses and teachers, too.

It felt so perfect that some residents nicknamed it “Shangri-La.”

That mix was also reflected in the architecture, and it’s for all these reasons that so many are moved to preserve it and bring back what is lost in the Eaton Fire.

Guests:

Steven Lewis, architect, consultant, Thinking Leadership, AIA, NOMA
Jessica Orlando, architect, Perkins & Will, AIA
Alex Athenson, president and cofounder, The Foothill Catalog Foundation

Altadena resident Keni Arts

It’s clear that some residents in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades will not be able to afford the rebuilding process — the costs or the time it will take. And beyond those practical concerns, there’s a bigger question for those who decide to stay: what will all the displacement mean for the greater community?

It’s a question reverberating pretty loudly throughout both the Palisades and Altadena, but this next episode looks specifically at the latter. Before the fires, home ownership in the area was pretty high at around 71 percent, but a lot of these homes were passed down through generations, and may not have been covered by insurance.

That makes Altadena particularly vulnerable.

California State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez oversees District 25, which includes Altadena, and joins us to talk about this, and how she fears the immigration raids in LA will impact the rebuilding process.

Guests:

California State Senator Sasha Renée Perez
Altadena resident Yasmin Sotomayor

When the Eaton and Palisades fires started in January, the winter in Southern California had been extremely dry. Following two very wet years and the hot summer in 2024, that meant the hillsides were covered with dry, desiccated grasses and chaparral. It was a lot of fuel for any fire. Layer in hurricane-force winds and disaster was pretty much inevitable.But that’s only part of the story. As we discussed in a previous episode, California already has a climate prone to catching fire. It has always burned and it always will. The hotter, drier days that are forecast to keep coming just exacerbate it.In this episode, we explore how a warming planet could increase conditions for urban conflagrations like the Palisades and Eaton fires to erupt — and what we can do to to live better, and safer, with a climate in which we know the winds will blow and another fire will start.First up, Altadena resident Kristin Sweredoski shares her story of why she decided pretty quickly to rebuild her home. Then, Rebuilding L.A. host Kate Cagle talks to L.A. Times Environment reporters Hayley Smith and Ian James about how climate change affected January’s fire, followed by UCLA climate scientist Alex Hall about the steps that could be taken by officials and individuals to reduce risks in these areas.Guests:Kristin Sweredoski, Altadena Resident
Hayley Smith, Environment Reporter, L.A. Times
Ian James, Staff Writer, focusing on water and climate change, L.A. Times
Alex Hall, Director, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability; Professor, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Sustainable LA Grand Challenge

Climate & Wildfire Research Initiative

The Climate & Wildfire Research Initiative homepage. The CWRI is an initiative of the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge.