Over a year later, Black families in Altadena are still displaced. What gives?

Many Black families are still waiting to return home after the Eaton Fire ignited and ravaged Altadena for weeks in January 2025.

It’s been more than a year since wildfires tore through Los Angeles for weeks, leaving 19 people dead, displacing dozens, and reducing entire neighborhoods to ash. And for many Black families, the road home is still painfully out of reach.

On Friday, Feb. 27, a group of 12 residents gathered outside Victory Bible Church in Pasadena to speak candidly about the exhausting insurance battles they say have stalled their recovery, USA Today reported.

Nicole Stephens told the outlet that when people ask why so many families remain displaced, her answer is simple: “You can blame insurance.”

She and her sister, Natalie LaFourche, described a maze of denials, delays and red tape, saying insurers have dragged their feet despite years of paid premiums and ongoing mortgage payments on homes that are still unsafe to occupy. Like many others, their properties require significant repairs, cleanup or full rebuilds. Stephens questioned whether the prolonged inaction month after month amounts to insurers “failing” their clients because they are Black.

On Jan. 7, 2025, a wildfire ignited in Eaton Canyon and rapidly swept through Altadena, consuming homes, businesses, and schools. Although firefighters made progress later that month, the blaze was not fully contained until Jan. 31. Many of the neighborhoods hit hardest had been lived in and cultivated by Black families for generations.

Friday’s news conference came on the heels of an announcement from the California Department of Justice on Feb. 12 that it would investigate the emergency response to the Eaton Fire, including whether the Los Angeles County Fire Department delayed alerts and evacuations in the historically Black West Altadena community and whether any actions violated state anti-discrimination or disability rights laws.

In the meantime, Lisa Odigie of the Eaton Fire Collaborative laid out what residents say they need now: protections to prevent outside investors from swooping in, access to emergency and interim housing, and funding for rental assistance. The larger goal, she said, is clear: “Keep Altadena land in Altadena hands.”