Topline:
Containment of the Eaton Fire has risen to 89% as firefighter take advantage of a slight break from Santa Ana wind conditions. Meanwhile, the death toll attributed to the fire has risen to 17, according to the L.A. County medical examiner.
What we know so far: According to authorities, the fire started near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive, and quickly grew. The cause is under investigation.
Keep reading... for more on evacuations, damage and fire conditions.
This is a developing story and will be updated. For the most up-to-date information about the fire you can check:
Containment of the Eaton Fire has risen to 89% as firefighter take advantage of a slight break from Santa Ana wind conditions. Meanwhile, the death toll attributed to the fire has risen to 17, according to the L.A. County medical examiner.
As of Thursday morning, sheriff's officials said in areas they patrol they are still investigating 24 missing person reports related to the fire.
Pasadena also declared a public health emergency, banning the use of power air blowers, including leaf blowers, until further notice because the devices stir up ash and particulate matter, worsening air quality.
As of Tuesday, 14,021 acres have burned. Meanwhile, officials are mapping where homes and businesses have been lost. About 9,400 structures have been destroyed, more than 1,000 damaged.
L.A. County's medical examiner has confirmed 17 deaths in the Eaton Fire, all at addresses in Altadena.
The fire sparked Jan. 7 in Eaton Canyon and quickly spread out of control — making it one of the deadliest fires in state history. The wildfire has injured many others, including five firefighters, and destroyed whole neighborhoods.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday morning that 17 people have been reported missing. That number could change as more people were encouraged to make reports this weekend. Sheriff's deputies now have grid searches of the area underway, going door to door to determine damage and search for additional victims.
"It looks like a war zone. I’ve never seen anything like it," L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said of the Altadena burn area.
The L.A. County Fire Department has confirmed more than 9,600 structures have been damaged or destroyed, but that number could go up or down as mapping continues.
At one point earlier this week, flames reached Mt. Wilson — which houses many antennas for broadcasters throughout the region, including LAist 89.3. Officials said Friday that no structures had been damaged or destroyed there.
A curfew is in place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for evacuation zones. Sheriff's deputies are patrolling those areas.
We know that Southern California Edison is concerned that its transmission lines may be blamed for starting the Eaton Fire. Lawyers representing insurance companies have already asked the utility to preserve evidence related to the fire, according to a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission.
And Pasadena Now interviewed a couple who took photos of a fire breaking out beneath an SCE transmission line near Eaton Canyon.
SoCal Edison has already done its own preliminary investigation and says it did not cause the fire. The company says it de-energized its power lines in the area "well before the reported start time of the fire," according to a press release. And the company told the CPUC that it detected "no interruptions or electrical or operational anomalies" on its transmission lines in the 12 hours before the Eaton Fire began.
Multiple lawsuits have already been filed against the company.
Some parts of Pasadena are still being warned to not drink tap water or use it in cooking. You can check if your address is impacted here. All other areas are safe.
The city warns that boiling, freezing, filtering or treating tap water in any way would not make it any safer. Instead, bottled water should be used for all drinking — including baby formula and juice, teeth brushing, dish washing, making ice, and for any food preparation.
The tap water advisory also applies to pets.
Pasadena and Altadena residents can pick up bottled water from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday at 450 North Lake Ave.
The city of Glendale, which had some parts under evacuation orders earlier this week, said their water was safe to drink as their water facilities are covered.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their homes and even their lives,” said Gordo, Pasadena's mayor. “We have experienced a tremendous tragedy.”
“This is an opportunity for us as a community, as a people, to band together to work to support one another,” he said.
Here are just some of the known losses:
Schools: Five schools in the Pasadena Unified School District suffered substantial damage, according to Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco. Eighty percent of Franklin Elementary burned, she said.
Nature Center: The Los Angeles County Parks Department issued a statement saying staff was “unable to activate our evacuation plan for the reptiles and valuable items at Eaton Canyon Nature Center.”
“We are devastated by the overwhelming impacts of these fires. Sadly, our beloved Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Farnsworth Park — Davies Community Center — on the National Historic Register, and the Altadena Golf Course Club House and adjacent buildings were destroyed in the Eaton fire. Currently, Charles White and Loma Alta parks in Altadena have fire damage,” according to the statement.
Pasadena City Manager Miguel Márquez promised this week that the city will rebuild.
“In this community we may get knocked down but we always get up,” he said. “We will heal.”
President Joe Biden approved a Presidential Major Emergency Declaration on Wednesday to support the response to the wildfires. He said on social media that he’s directed the Department of Defense to provide additional personnel, and 10 Navy helicopters with water buckets are on the way.
“To the residents of Southern California: We are with you,” Biden wrote on X.
Evacuation orders and warnings are changing fast, so check out the most up to date, interactive map here.
Residents are able to reenter some communities as of 3 p.m. Monday, including parts of Kinneloa Mesa. Officials warned that this process will take time, as all agencies have to be on board before an area is opened back up.
The city of Pasadena said on social media that it's receiving requests to check on family and friends who’ve been evacuated. You can call the Pasadena Police non-emergency line at 626-744-4241 — but only after you’ve tried to reach them in other ways.
You can also contact the Red Cross at 800-675-5799 or fill out an inquiry form.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger warned looters to stay out of the evacuation area. “To those who want to loot, the full weight of the county will come down on you,” she said.
Large animals:
Small animals:
Note: The Pasadena Humane Society said they had received more than 250 pets to shelter and said they were at near-capacity. It's also been collecting small animals who have to be sheltered elsewhere.
The organization said Thursday evening that it's received an "overwhelming" number of supplies, but now they need monetary donations most.
Pasadena Unified School District will be closed until at least January 17, Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said in a statement Friday.
Most other districts in the area have also been shut down for days, due to a combination of bad air quality and a lack of staffing, as district employees themselves evacuate.
You can find a full list of school closures here.
Road closures are changing constantly, but Los Angeles County Public Works maintains an ongoing map: Here are all the road closures.
The Rose Bowl Stadium is currently being used by fire and police departments and other regional agencies for emergency response efforts, according to the city of Pasadena
All donations should be dropped off at:
Santa Anita Mall
400 S. Baldwin Ave, Arcadia
South Side, Lot B
Patricia Gerpheide evacuated from the Monte Cedric retirement community in Altadena early Wednesday morning with 200 other people.
She said when she woke up at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, the wind was blowing "dramatically hard" and she knew there would be problems.
"I looked out my window and across the street, there were two small fires burning and I thought it's so covered with smoke that no one will find them, so I thought I better get ready," she said. "By the time I had my things packed and ready to walk out the door, which was very quick, I looked out again and there were fires all over the place."
Michelle Zvonec, who lives in Sierra Madre, said the evacuation orders came quickly. She managed to take with her things of sentimental value, but said she didn't get as much clothes or even a jacket.
"I packed like I was going to go to a hotel room and come back and get more stuff tomorrow," she said. "It was really weird."
Part of Katie Fulford’s home was destroyed while her neighbors “lost everything.” She’s lived near West Grandview and Auburn Avenue for about a decade, but said she hasn’t been through a wildfire like this before.
“ That was my art studio, that was just about finished, and all my art for years and years and years is now pretty much gone,” she said. “ We all survived, that's the important part. I'll remind myself that when I'm feeling all the sadness.”
_
If you have to evacuate
If you have more time:
Things to consider
Navigating fire conditions
How to help yourself and others
Understanding how it got this bad
Topline:
Long-term disaster recovery for the Los Angeles fires depends on federal funding. FEMA has indicated less support for states, but California lawmakers think Democratic wins in November could change things.
Why it matters: Almost two years since the Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles County, many fire survivors are still displaced, running out of money and waiting for long-term federal disaster aid that may not come. If survivors have received insurance payouts, they may have depleted that money for temporary housing. Some survivors received Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for housing, too. For renters, that aid ran out on Oct. 9. Any future federal aid is up in the air — and could depend on what happens in the midterm elections.
Pushing for federal funding: While officials at every level of government push for federal funding, fire survivors have traveled to Washington, D.C., to do the same. But the Trump administration has been slow to release funding to California, and it’s unclear when the billions of dollars in long-term disaster recovery money the state has requested will come — if at all. FEMA has told states they will need to handle most disasters themselves, according to a recent leaked recording from the National Emergency Management Association’s annual conference.
Read on... for more on what the midterms could mean for fire survivors.
Almost two years since the Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles County, many fire survivors are still displaced, running out of money and waiting for long-term federal disaster aid that may not come.
If survivors have received insurance payouts, they may have depleted that money for temporary housing. Some survivors received Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for housing, too. For renters, that aid ran out on Oct. 9. Any future federal aid is up in the air — and could depend on what happens in the midterm elections.
“I’ve never been at a point in my life where I don’t know what to do, where to go, who to turn to,” said Kate Adams, who received money from FEMA toward rent for an apartment in Duarte after the Eaton Fire damaged the Altadena apartment she and her daughters had lived in for 10 years.
Adams, a real estate agent, also got some money from a local nonprofit and a California Association of Realtors grant. But even with those contributions, the cost of rent and replacing damaged belongings has exhausted Adams’ savings. She and her daughters are running out of options because there’s no more aid coming in.
“I’ve got two teenage daughters who are just starting their lives,” Adams said. “I don’t know how to keep a roof over our heads.”
Adams is just one of many survivors, especially renters, facing the prospect of having no place to go.
A recent survey by the Department of Angels, a nonprofit group that’s tracking recovery efforts, found that 28% of all survivors have run out of displacement coverage. The survey also found that survivors want elected officials to prioritize insurance availability and affordability; financial and tax relief; and speeding up permitting and rebuilding.
Katie Clark, co-founder of the Altadena Tenants Union, said the “situation on the ground is dire,” especially for renters. “People are wondering if they have to live out of their cars, and pull their kids out of school. We need money and housing. This is not rocket science.”
While officials at every level of government push for federal funding, fire survivors have traveled to Washington, D.C., to do the same. But the Trump administration has been slow to release funding to California, and it’s unclear when the billions of dollars in long-term disaster recovery money the state has requested will come — if at all. FEMA has told states they will need to handle most disasters themselves, according to a recent leaked recording from the National Emergency Management Association’s annual conference.
That alarms people like Sierra Lindsey Kos, co-founder of national nonprofit organization Extreme Weather Survivors, who said a federal funding gap strains local and state budgets.
“California communities are already confronting devastating wildfires, flooding, extreme heat, and a growing insurance affordability crisis,” Kos said. “Reducing federal disaster assistance would place even more pressure on families and communities navigating these challenges.”
President Donald Trump did not include Los Angeles County wildfire relief funding in his administration’s budget request for Congress this summer. Two members of Congress from California say the outcome of the November elections could be key to unlocking more federal aid.
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, a Democrat from Los Angeles whose district includes Pasadena, recently helped pressure FEMA into releasing $6.6 million to pay the state back for services provided by case managers who helped people deal with insurance, FEMA aid permits for rebuilding and more.
The state requested additional funding to continue the program and was denied, but appealed. Chu said almost 1,400 open cases are waiting to be resolved. She called the program essential for survivors’ mental health.
The Department of Angels survey also asked survivors to rank their five most urgent issues right now. Mental health and long-term financial concerns came in first and second, respectively.
Chu and others are advocating for long-term federal funding, too. California has requested $16 billion through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program — $8 billion each for the Eaton and Palisades fires.
“Basic FEMA funding cannot possibly do the job,” Chu said. “(Community development grant) funds will allow for individual recovery plus other essential causes that will help Altadena to rebuild.”
Congresswoman Norma Torres, a Democrat who represents the Inland Empire, lost her Pomona home to a fire more than 20 years ago.
“I know what these families are going through,” Torres said. “Right now we should be trying anything and everything to bring some relief to victims.”
Torres and Chu both said that if Democrats win the House of Representatives in November, federal aid to California and other states hit by disaster could start to flow.
Torres said her office is trying to find Republican lawmakers willing to advocate for disaster aid alongside Democrats. But she said because the president has not called for the aid, they are reluctant to lend their names to any effort to do so.
“I’m hoping after the midterms that my Republican colleagues have a different perspective and try to approach things in a more humane way,” Torres said.
Chu agreed: “My hope is that the mood of Republicans will be quite different when they lose the House and possibly the Senate. And they may see this as their only ability to shape what can come to their members.”
Some Eaton Fire survivors recently went to the nation’s capital to advocate for federal aid. They were joined by survivors of the 2025 floods in Texas and of the storms and subsequent prolonged power outages in Gary, Ind., when they met with staffers of U.S. lawmakers to ask about long-term federal disaster funds.
“We’re pursuing opportunities to get members of both parties in the room and have them hear directly from survivors,” said Sylvie Andrews, whose Altadena home burned down. “I really hope they were listening to us. They seemed sympathetic.”
Bill Gould, another Eaton Fire survivor who also lost his Altadena home — along with his prosthetics because he’s a left-arm amputee — said some staffers told them it was unusual to have direct contact with fire survivors. Both he and Andrews were underinsured and have yet to rebuild; federal aid could help them.
“It will be interesting to see how midterms maybe shake some of this up,” Gould said. “At the same time, time is not our friend. For us, with our (additional living expenses coverage) and our insurance, you don’t have forever for these things to resolve.”
Last year, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger met with Trump to ask for help for their constituents as well as for the county for its infrastructure needs. Altadena has more than $2 billion worth of infrastructure to repair and rebuild, said Anish Saraiya, Barger’s director of recovery for Altadena. He also said the county is working on establishing a financial assistance program.
“While we wait for federal resources, the supervisor says we’ll find every dollar out there,” Saraiya said.
Anthony Martinez, a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom, said California has committed more than $100 million toward affordable multifamily housing in the area. He also said the state will keep pressing the federal government for more funding that can support renters, including through the community development program.
The long-term aid program is usually administered by the Housing and Urban Development Department.
“Over the last 10 years, California has received billions in federal disaster aid for wildfires, but state and local leaders have not been good stewards of those funds to help their communities recover,” HUD said in an unsigned email response to CalMatters. “HUD remains committed to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, ensuring every cent goes to serving those in need."
The federal agency did not respond to follow-up questions.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
Topline:
The Trump administration is demanding that almost every California county review its claims that noncitizens are registered to vote. Some of the information appears outdated, officials say.
Why now: Election officials from across California questioned the accuracy of the federal government’s methodology for finding noncitizen voters after the Trump administration threatened them with criminal charges last week. The counties on Friday were given 48 hours to commit to working with federal authorities and to segregate ballots from a list of people federal authorities claimed were likely noncitizens.
More details: The letters said the list of names were from the same group of 20,000 people that the Trump administration flagged as noncitizens and then sued California over, demanding that state officials not count those ballots until they verify the voters’ citizenship. State officials have questioned the accuracy of the data and have refused to comply, saying the federal government risks disenfranchising thousands of voters in an attempt to illegally meddle in state elections. On Tuesday, a federal judge appeared skeptical of the Trump administration’s legal arguments.
Read on... for more on the what local election officials found.
Election officials from across California questioned the accuracy of the federal government's methodology for finding noncitizen voters after the Trump administration threatened them with criminal charges last week.
The counties on Friday were given 48 hours to commit to working with federal authorities and to segregate ballots from a list of people federal authorities claimed were likely noncitizens.
The letters said the list of names were from the same group of 20,000 people that the Trump administration flagged as noncitizens and then sued California over, demanding that state officials not count those ballots until they verify the voters’ citizenship.
State officials have questioned the accuracy of the data and have refused to comply, saying the federal government risks disenfranchising thousands of voters in an attempt to illegally meddle in state elections. On Tuesday, a federal judge appeared skeptical of the Trump administration’s legal arguments.
Meanwhile, the letters counties received last week threatened potential criminal charges for election officials who “knowingly tabulate ballots cast by individuals identified by federal agencies as noncitizens.”
Butte County Clerk-Recorder Keaton Denlay said he received one such letter and a demand to not count ballots from a list of 47 people.
“Upon inspection of the list of names, it appeared to be a print screen of a poorly formatted excel spreadsheet with missing and jumbled information,” he said in a statement.
Denlay said he reviewed the list and found that 32 of the people were not on Butte County's active voter rolls and were not sent ballots. Seven others “did not have sufficient information … to match to our voter list with confidence” since the list only contained partial names, partial addresses, no dates of birth, no drivers’ license numbers or Social Security numbers.
Six of the names belonged to people who may not be eligible to vote, but Denlay said California law requires those challenging a voter’s eligibility to have extraordinary levels of proof.
“Given the overall inaccuracy of the list provided and its lack of specificity, I believe the Department of Justice has not met that burden,” Denlay said. “There will be no further action taken at this time.”
Fresno County Registrar of Voters James Kus also received a letter, but he said he couldn't tell how many ballots federal prosecutors wanted him to segregate, since the “not particularly legible” list was a printed sheet, in small font, and “not in a format that facilitates counting or reviewing.” He said the county already follows state and federal voter registration laws.
“We will not be deviating from those legal requirements for this letter,” Kus told CalMatters in an email.
Francisco Diaz, San Benito County registrar of voters, said his office received a demand with 33 names. A preliminary review found that some on the list weren’t registered to vote.
“Hand-delivering a letter via armed federal agents with an arbitrary 48-hour deadline does not circumvent state law,” Diaz said in a statement. “We will not be intimidated by agents with guns for simply doing our jobs, nor will we be rushed into compromising confidential voter data.”
Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page said he wasn’t notified of a letter alleging his county had 1,754 “likely aliens” on the voter rolls until after business hours on Friday.
That's because, he told reporters in an email, federal prosecutors had addressed and hand-delivered the letter not to Page but to Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen, who handles such documents as marriage licenses and property deeds.
On Monday, Page said federal agents delivered a correctly addressed letter to his office, along with a “data storage drive.”
Page planned to respond by the Wednesday deadline, he said.
The messy voter lists counties described fits a pattern, said David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, a nonprofit whose mission is to restore trust in the American election system
He noted that the Department of Homeland Security recently claimed that Nevada had nearly 16,000 noncitizens on its voter rolls. DHS sent the state the names of only 185 voters. Nevada officials confirmed the voters had attested they were all U.S. citizens.
Becker said the Trump administration has been making “broad political claims made with great fanfare” only to have them “fall apart as they’re subjected to scrutiny.”
“I’m not entirely sure the DOJ wants to get into court and defend its evidentiary claims because I think they would fall apart, just as we’ve seen in other states,” said Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department attorney.
In federal court on Tuesday, Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, insisted the federal list of 20,000 people was accurate.
“We stand by the reliability of the information,” he said. “We take our obligations and ethics very seriously.”
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
Topline:
Consuelo G. Flores, a multidisciplinary artist and curator based in Alhambra, has been preparing for Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, with a group of community members since July. Their creations are now part of a larger community altar on exhibition at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown L.A.
About ofrendas: The altars, also called ofrendas in Spanish, feature gifts for the deceased. Often, these gifts are something they loved when they still walked this earth— a favorite drink, or maybe a favorite food.
What's happening Wednesday: Flores will guide community members through the outdoor exhibition. She will also teach them how to make paper flowers.
No experience needed: The flowers are easy to make, she said. After the first few, the process becomes automatic. People start chatting. “It's like a quilting circle,” Flores added. People begin to share stories about their loved ones. Strangers connect through their loss.
Read on... for details on how to join and learn about the process.
Consuelo G. Flores, a multidisciplinary artist and curator based in Alhambra, has been preparing for Día de los Muertos since July.
Over these past few months, she’s hosted workshops to guide community members through the process of making altars in honor of their deceased loved ones.
The altars, also called ofrendas in Spanish, feature gifts for the deceased. Often, these gifts are something they loved when they still walked this earth — a favorite drink, or maybe a favorite food. They’re also part of Día de los Muertos, which is traditionally celebrated in the first two days of November.
Their creations are now part of a larger piece by Flores. The community altar is part of a 10-day cultural exhibition at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown L.A., where other artists are making ofrendas of their own.
On Wednesday, Flores will guide community members through the outdoor exhibition. She will also teach them how to make paper flowers.
The flowers are easy to make, she said. After the first few, the process becomes automatic. People start chatting.
“It's like a quilting circle,” she said. People begin to share stories about their loved ones. Strangers connect through their loss.
At her workshops, Flores has taught artists new and seasoned how to make papel picado, a traditional Mexican folk art made by cutting intricate patterns into the paper.
Her small dining room is littered with art supplies: Tissue paper in bold colors. Pipe cleaners. Scissors. Glue.
Flores keeps a permanent altar for her family in the dining room. As she and the community members worked with their hands, Flores shared everything she’s learned about the tradition’s Indigenous roots.
“Everyone I've loved and lost has given me something,” Flores told LAist.
“My dad taught me how to read in Spanish,” she said. “My mom taught me to be strong. My brother taught me about social justice. And my ex-husband, who just died, taught me to really look at things through an artistic lens, and to not hold back.”
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, artist and curator Consuelo G. Flores will lead the tour and a paper flower making workshop for LAist readers and listeners.
The event is free and open to the public.
The Ohtli Yollotl Curanderismo Collective, a Southern California-based group of healers practicing traditional Mexican Indigenous healing and ancestral medicine, will offer spiritual cleansings starting at 5:30pm.
There will also be drinks from Café Alegría and pan dulce for all. Get your free tickets here.
Topline:
Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union to improve working conditions in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields and coined the phrase “Sí, se puede!” that became a widespread rallying cry, has died. She was 96.
Why it matters: She kept a busy schedule well into her 90s, marching in protests and speaking in cities across the country about race, poverty, LGBTQ+ and women’s rights on behalf of her Bakersfield, California-based foundation. Huerta’s resolve cemented her place in history as one of the nation’s most influential labor leaders, civil rights icons and feminist activists. Her three-word Spanish-language slogan — which translates to “Yes, it can be done” — was grounded in the belief that people could affect change.
Homegrown activism: Huerta was born Dolores Clara Fernandez in 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico. Her father was a miner and union activist who went on to win a seat in the state Legislature. Her parents divorced when she was 3, and her mother took her and her brothers to California.
Read on... for more on Huerta's life.
Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union to improve working conditions in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields and coined the phrase “Sí, se puede!” that became a widespread rallying cry, has died. She was 96.
Huerta’s family said in a statement through her foundation that she died Wednesday at home.
She kept a busy schedule well into her 90s, marching in protests and speaking in cities across the country about race, poverty, LGBTQ+ and women’s rights on behalf of her Bakersfield, California-based foundation.
Huerta’s resolve cemented her place in history as one of the nation’s most influential labor leaders, civil rights icons and feminist activists. Her three-word Spanish-language slogan — which translates to “Yes, it can be done” — was grounded in the belief that people could affect change.
Her work over the decades earned her a number of accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. When then-President Barack Obama presented the award in 2012, he praised Huerta as a tenacious leader and joked that he had stolen her slogan for his 2008 campaign.
This year, Huerta sent shockwaves through the Latino community when she revealed that she was sexually abused in the 1960s by the farmworker movement’s co-founder, César Chavez, leading to the birth of two children, a secret she kept for 60 years and long after he died.
From the early 1970s on, Huerta’s life partner was Richard Chavez, César’s brother, and together they had four kids. She also had seven children from two earlier marriages.
Huerta said she had kept silent for so long because she feared that coming forward would compromise her life’s work and unravel all the progress made for workers.
When asked during a 2026 interview with the news organization Latino USA about keeping the secret, Huerta said: “It was my personal pain, it was my personal problem and, you know, I think it was worth it because it was my cross to bear. I’ll say it that way.”
Huerta was born Dolores Clara Fernandez in 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico. Her father was a miner and union activist who went on to win a seat in the state Legislature. Her parents divorced when she was 3, and her mother took her and her brothers to California.
Immersed in a melting pot of Mexican, Filipino, African American, Japanese and Chinese working families, Huerta learned from her mother — who owned a restaurant and hotel — about independence, compassion and activism.
Huerta was a young, energetic elementary school teacher in the farm-rich San Joaquin Valley when she decided to answer another calling after growing frustrated by her students’ poor living conditions.
“I couldn’t stand seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes,” she said in a 2017 PBS Independent Lens documentary on her life. “I thought I could do more by organizing farmworkers than by trying to teach their hungry children.”
Huerta’s early work with a civil rights group in Stockton resulted in her meeting Chavez. The two wanted to focus more on the plight of farmworkers, so in 1962 they started the National Farm Workers Association, which became United Farm Workers of America a few years later. She was a key leader and negotiator for the union for years.
She was among those who joined Filipino grape pickers on the picket line in what became the five-year “Delano Grape Strike.” With Chavez, she negotiated collective bargaining agreements and contracts with big growers, winning the first health and benefit plans for farmworkers.
Chavez, who died in 1993, once described her as fearless, committed to the cause and tough when it came to negotiations.
She met U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy of Massachusetts during his visit to Delano in 1968 and became a volunteer on his presidential campaign, registering Mexican Americans in California to vote. Huerta was on stage with Kennedy after he won the California primary and he publicly thanked her moments before he was shot.
The assassination devastated Huerta, but she kept organizing for farmworkers’ rights.
Huerta was jailed 22 times for union demonstrating. In 1988, she was seriously injured while protesting Republican presidential candidate George H.W. Bush’s opposition to the UFW grape boycott during his visit to San Francisco.
Caught in a crowd, she was struck by a police officer’s baton, suffered three broken ribs and a pulverized spleen, and required more than a dozen blood transfusions. She reached a settlement with the city to resolve her claims.
After a long recovery, Huerta shifted focus and hit the road to campaign for women’s rights and encourage Latinas to run for office.
She also campaigned for Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton, Obama and Joe Biden. California Gov. Gavin Newsom considered her a close friend.
Emilio Huerta, one of Dolores’ 13 children, once pointed to his mom’s courage during an interview, saying it was one of the most significant drivers of her life’s work.
“To dedicate your life to building a dream of a union for farmworkers, to take on agriculture, which to this today is still a powerhouse. ... That took a lot of guts,” he had said.
Huerta learned the art of lobbying politicians. She secured financial aid for the unemployed and disability insurance for California farmworkers. She spoke out against toxic pesticides, pushed for amnesty for immigrants in the country illegally and fought federal guest worker programs.
By directing nationwide boycotts of grapes and lettuce in the early 1970s, she helped to create the economic pressure and political climate necessary for California to pass what would be the first state law recognizing farmworkers’ right to collective bargaining.
Her work earned her many accolades. She was the first Latina to be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and she’s received nine honorary doctorates from U.S. universities.
Schools are named in her honor in California, Texas and Colorado. Her image graces many murals, and streets bear her name, but she didn’t always win favor with more liberal activists.
In 2016 when she endorsed Hillary Clinton instead of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in the presidential Democratic primary, actor Rosario Dawson — a Sanders supporter who played Huerta in a 2014 movie about César Chavez — said Huerta had become “an instrument of the establishment.”
Dawson and Huerta eventually reconciled.
Guitarist Carlos Santana later oversaw a documentary based on Huerta’s life after the pair had a late-night conversation about music while in Hawaii. Santana, a Miles Davis fan, discovered Huerta was a huge fan of bebop legend Charlie Parker.
“I even met Charlie Parker. That’s my claim to fame,” Huerta joked during an interview with The Associated Press when she was 87.
It was her work as a leader within the labor movement that reverberated through the U.S. and beyond, making her name synonymous with civil rights. In the 2025 documentary “Seeds of Change: The Life and Legacy of Dolores Huerta,” she recounted her decades-long journey in activism and talked about the inspiration she drew from the women’s movement during the 1970s, saying it provided validation that she too could stand on the stage with other labor leaders.
“I hope that my legacy will be one of an organizer that organized to fight injustice,” she said in the film. “We want to give our children an inheritance of justice, right, not jewels or property or money because they’ll just fight over it. So the main thing to do is to give them this love for justice — and that is the greatest gift I think that any of us can have.”
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Associated Press journalist Brian Melley contributed to this report. Former AP journalist Russell Contreras also contributed reporting previously for this story.
