In a sobering revelation during Monday’s emergency City Council meeting, Pasadena officials disclosed that the devastating Eaton Fire has directly impacted nearly one-fifth of the city’s workforce, even as they lead response efforts to a disaster that has forced over 32,800 residents from their homes.
“Also wanted to answer your question, Mayor, the City itself, our own staff are part of this. People who unfortunately lost their homes, the latest number we have is 61 of our employees lost a home. 61. Yes, 61 of our employees, that’s our latest count and 357 of them are still under orders and I’m told that that is 16.5% of our active employees,” City Manager Miguel Márquez reported to the Council.
The figures emerged during a comprehensive briefing on the city’s response to the fire, which had burned 14,117 acres and was 33% contained.
Officials confirmed approximately 150 structures have been damaged or destroyed within Pasadena city limits.
The blaze, which began January 8, has required deployment of approximately 3,400 firefighters, 375 fire engines, 50 hand crews, 29 dozers, 90 water tenders, and 16 helicopters.
Fire Chief Chad Augustin dscribed the coordinated response, noting that many personnel were already mobilized for an anticipated wind event when the fire broke out.
“We had staffing for multiple days for our emergency operations center. We had additional on-duty crews in multiple departments, which you’re going to hear about, but I really believe those additional preparations save lives and properties,” Augustin said.
While all mandatory evacuation orders within city limits have now been lifted, approximately 24,400 residents remain under evacuation warnings.
At the peak of the emergency, evacuation orders affected 32,800 people and 12,453 structures, with warnings extending to an additional 42,000 people and 11,000 structures.
The City has established multiple assistance centers: a Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Recovery Center at Pasadena City College’s Community Education Center on East Foothill Boulevard, operating seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for at least 30 days; medical services through Kaiser and Huntington at 393 East Walnut; and an evacuation center at the Convention Center managed by the American Red Cross.
The Rose Bowl is serving as the incident command post for the emergency response, including California National Guard.
For residents beginning cleanup efforts, the city has established a green waste collection site at Hahamonga Park, while officials continue monitoring water quality issues affecting parts of the city, with recent testing showing improvement.