On Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m., the Eaton Fire ignited near Altadena, tearing through the community and leaving homes destroyed, families displaced, and lives forever changed. The Eaton Fire which has consumed 14,000 acres is now 99% contained, but its devastating impact remains prevalent across Southern California.
Eaton’s destruction went beyond physical structures, affecting not only the residents of Altadena and Pasadena but also nearby communities, including many of Gabrielino High School’s staff. Among those displaced were several faculty members who now carry the emotional burden of the fire’s devastation.
Facing the Fire
Kevin Murchie, assistant principal at Gabrielino High School, vividly recalls the night of Jan. 7th, the day he was evacuated from his home in La Cañada. It all began with a phone call from his son before wrestling practice that evening.
“He called my wife and I saying that the trees are on fire,” Murchie shared. “But he’s a sophomore in high school so we didn’t know what he meant at first.”
Soon after, Murchie saw the fire with his own eyes and realized the gravity of the situation. By 3:30 AM, he received a Level 2 evacuation warning and began packing his family’s essentials.
“I’ll never forget walking out of my house at 4 in the morning and loading up the cars,” Murchie recalled. “Looking up the street, it was exactly like a disaster movie where everyone is in their driveway packing up their cars.”
Although his family was safely evacuated and returned home four days later, the impact of this event was greater than imagined, and he hopes there will be more discussions regarding how to help individuals prepare themselves for future disasters.
“Everybody knows somebody or people that lost a home, so the impact was felt that way through the pain of others for others,” Murchie concluded.
A Mother’s Perspective
Jennifer Mendez, Gabrielino High School’s Honors English 1 teacher, witnessed the fire firsthand as she frantically packed up a car with her children’s belongings and watched as her three children left two hours prior to the evacuation warnings.]
“When we got the order to evacuate, it was surreal. You don’t even know where to start,” Mendez explained. “You see on TV people take a safe, papers, and birth certificates. We knew we had to take that stuff but I literally remember looking around every room and not even knowing what to grab.”
Mendez was afraid and overwhelmed by the idea of gathering her family’s essential items, not knowing if she would have a home to return to amidst the evacuation warning.
“To me, the most precious things were already safe, my kids, my family, and our dogs,” Mendez said.
Her kids had packed up their belongings before the evacuation warning, grabbing things that had sentimental value to them.
“When my son was evacuating, he was trying to find a tupperware and I was like ‘what are you doing?’ He was like I have to take Tikki [their gecko lizard],” Mendez shared lightheartedly, “I said, ‘Luke, I’m taking the whole terrarium, I already know he’s already good to go, just get out of the house.’”
Mendez and her family returned to their residence a few days after the evacuation warning, but the possibility of returning to find her home destroyed weighed heavily on her.
“It was a long drive even though it was only 10 minutes because we didn’t know if our house was going to be there,” Mendez explained, “It was quiet in the car when we drove up the street, and thank God it was there with no visible damage.”
When Mendez saw her home untouched, the feeling was immeasurable.
“I was relieved to see my house standing because I didn’t want my kids to feel that loss,” Mendez concluded.
The personal experiences of Gabrielino staff further emphasize the severity of the fires and the importance of showing gratitude for the first responders and firefighters who worked tirelessly on the frontlines to prevent the spread of Eaton.
Fighting the Fire
Steven Wallace, Fire Chief of the San Gabriel Fire Department, clearly recalls driving down Altadena Drive on Jan. 7, examining the fire on both sides of the street as it consumed cars and structures.
The San Gabriel Fire Department (SGFD), along with many stations within the San Gabriel Valley, first heard of the fire on Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m.
“We got assigned to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena to protect that and then neighborhoods in Pasadena and Altadena for the next few days,” Wallace explained. “We were making saves where we could, rescuing people, and just doing what was possible.”
Although the San Gabriel Fire Department is assigned to San Gabriel, they expanded their efforts to aid those in affected areas in Pasadena. SGFD’s main priority was to ensure the safety and protection of San Gabriel. Once accomplished and assured, their resources and personnel were able to contribute to fighting the Eaton Fire.
“We always keep enough people to fulfill our needs first so that’s our primary mission, to protect the City of San Gabriel,” Wallace commented.
As a member of the San Gabriel Fire Department for 18 years, Wallace admitted that even with his experience, the Eaton Fire was unprecedented.
“Every time I think I’m seeing the biggest fire of my career it seems like the next year something bigger happens,” Wallace explained.
Through fighting the Eaton fire alongside the San Marino and Pasadena Fire Department, Wallace was grateful for the outpouring of support from the community. From donations to knocking on the station doors to offer support, Wallace was overwhelmed with love.
“The willingness for people to help out and want to come together and give supplies and monetary contributions or moral support has been amazing,” Wallace stated candidly.
The Eaton Fire revealed the ability of various communities to unite as one, with community members setting up GoFundMe pages to aid those affected, dropping off necessities at Donation Centers, and dedicating their time to aid in service projects.
“I just want to thank the community for their support. None of our members [at the fire department] signed up to do this because we want recognition and accolades, but we really appreciate the opportunity to serve the community,” Wallace concluded.
As the Gabrielino staff and neighboring communities begin the long process of rebuilding, their stories serve as a testament to human resilience. Through shared experiences and collective support, Gabrielino staff and the greater community are finding ways to heal and move forward.
