Barger Introduces Motion to Address Evacuation Failures at Supportive Housing During Eaton Fire

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger has introduced a motion inspired by the plight of Mirador Apartments residents in Altadena during the January 2025 Eaton Fire.

The motion, which will be voted on by the Board of Supervisors at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, May 6, calls for a coordinated County response to ensure vulnerable populations receive proper protection and support in future emergencies, according to a statement from Barger’s office.

“Many residents of the Mirador Apartments were left to navigate a dangerous situation on their own, despite being among the most medically and physically vulnerable in our communities,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

“My motion seeks accountability and concrete improvements to ensure safety isn’t compromised in future emergencies.”

The initiative follows alarming accounts from elderly residents of the 70-unit supportive housing development who reported being abandoned during evacuation efforts when the deadly Eaton Fire threatened their community.

When power was cut to the four-story building, the elevator became inoperable, leaving many seniors and disabled residents struggling to escape, according to Housing Finance.

“Residents who are disabled, who have mobility issues, who are medically vulnerable — not evacuated, nobody came for them. They saved each other. They saved themselves,” Altadena Tenants’ Union representative Katie Clark told ABC7 News last month.

The January 2025 Eaton Fire killed at least 18 people with an average age of 77, and destroyed nearly 9,500 structures across Los Angeles County, according to the California Housing Finance Agency.

While the Mirador Apartments building survived the fire, residents described harrowing evacuation experiences and inadequate support from management.

Niobe Recasens, an 87-year-old resident, recounted her terrifying experience: “I fell down the stairs and hit between my shoulder blades and the pain was so severe. I thought I broke my spine. People were running by and screaming and I kept saying, ‘Don’t leave me, don’t leave me!'”

A central directive in Barger’s motion tasks the Los Angeles County Department of Aging and Disabilities with engaging directly with the senior residents at the Mirador Apartments to assess their needs and enhance support systems.

The motion also requires County departments to explore improvements to emergency preparedness protocols and accountability measures for supportive housing providers, according to Barger’s office.

This action builds upon a previous motion approved unanimously by the Board on April 2, co-authored by Barger and Supervisor Janice Hahn, which directed the Los Angeles County Department of Aging and Disabilities to study a potential registry to help emergency responders locate and assist older adults and people with disabilities during evacuations, according to Supervisor Hahn’s official website.

“Our County must take decisive action to protect our most vulnerable residents,” Barger said regarding that earlier motion.

The Mirador residents have also complained about poor conditions in their apartments following the fire.

“Our apartments were full of smoke, full of soot, full of ash. My bed, all my linens and everything smelled like smoke,” one resident told FOX 11.

In response to these complaints, Mirador Apartments management released a statement saying, “Management followed all city and County protocols, both around the mandatory evacuations on January 8th and in ensuring the remediation necessary to confirm. Mirador units and common areas were safe and habitable.”

Residents have since formed the El Mirador Alliance on their own to advocate for improvements, including functional backup power sources for emergency evacuations and a clear evacuation plan with regular drills.