After loss of homes in Eaton Fire, Pasadena neighborhood gathers to rebuild community spirit

Upper Hastings Ranch in Pasadena is a neighborhood is perhaps best known for its dazzling light displays during the winter holidays. But during the Eaton Fire, more than 80 homes were destroyed and even more damaged.

In the wake of the tragedy, residents decided to gather this long weekend for a different kind of celebration.

Local leaders organized a block party on Presidents’ Day, giving families a chance to rebuild their community spirit after so much loss.

Patricia Hamada-Vahdat, one of the organizers, was busy coordinating the arrival of a food truck as the party kicked off Monday afternoon at Don Benito Fundamental School. She lost her home in the fires. She said working to bring people together has been helping her deal with the loss.

“I think people needed this,” Hamada-Vahdat said. “They needed to just take their minds off of looking at the homes and how sad it can be. Because it's not. It's a new beginning.”

A food truck from the World Central Kitchen handed out donated food to block party attendees.

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Food, FEMA and dragons

Donated food was handed out at food trucks from Habit Burger, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and World Central Kitchen.

Girl Scouts set up a booth to sell cookies. Kids enjoying the sunny weather ran through the school’s playground and took turns on the swings.

The San Gabriel Chinese Cultural Association put on a traditional dragon and lion dance performance for prosperity in the fire recovery.

The block party featured a lion dance put on by performers with the San Gabriel Chinese Cultural Association.

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Upper Hastings Ranch Association board member Tiffany Gardner said the event wasn’t just a party — it also featured booths where people could get help.

“We have the EPA here. We have FEMA here. We have Cal OES and the Army Corps of Engineers,” Gardner said.

The block party at Don Benito Fundamental school featured booths, food trucks and a DJ.

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Leon Skinner, an emergency management specialist with the Army Corps of Engineers, said he and his colleagues were answering homeowners’ questions about the debris removal process.

“There are a lot of factors in play to mobilize the right equipment and make sure that we do a great job of being strategic about this and not making the damage any worse than it already is,” Skinner said. “We're here for the long haul.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was on hand to answer questions from homeowners about debris removal.

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Large crowds came as a relief

Leading up to the event, Hamada-Vahdat said she was nervous about the turn-out.

“I was waking up at three o'clock in the morning, going, is anybody really gonna come?” she said. But hundreds of people had shown up within minutes of the event’s start time.

Hamada-Vahdat said, “What I want to get out of this, on a selfish note, is just to see everyone's happiness. And that they possibly see that this could be something down the road to do again.”