In front of the Altadena sheriff’s station Saturday morning, Pierre Dupuy greeted L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, then broke down in her arms.
“Thank you so much,” the 65-year-old, who has lived in Altadena all his life, told Barger between sobs. “It’s so brutal, it’s so brutal.”
He and his brother both lost their homes in the Eaton fire, which has decimated their community and parts of nearby Pasadena, with over 14,000 acres burned, at least 11 deaths and thousands of structures damaged.
In front of us, a massive strip mall sign bent at a 45-degree angle. Behind us, the sheriff’s station had no water or electricity. East and west on Altadena Drive were structures that remained unscathed next to places that looked like photos from the bombing of Dresden.
Lifelong Altadena resident Pierre Dupuy, 65, who lost his home, his parents’ home and his brother’s home in the Eaton fire, surveys the damage with Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Barger held Dupuy tight. The two have known each other for over 30 years. “I know,” she told him. “I know.”
This isn’t the first time she’s had to comfort constituents after a major wildfire. Since she joined the Board of Supervisors in 2016, Barger’s district has weathered 10 fires larger than 5,000 acres, including the Bobcat and Lake conflagrations, which were among the largest in L.A. County in the last decade. This one is hitting her different. The San Marino native has memories of visiting the Eaton Canyon Nature Center as a Girl Scout and filming a commercial for her first political campaign at Charles S. Farnsworth Park.
The nature center was destroyed. The park’s New Deal-era rec center near its historic amphitheater was leveled. Many of her friends lost their homes. Staffers had to evacuate.
“I haven’t ever considered how I do what I do in times like this,” Barger said as we began to walk down Lake Avenue. “I haven’t even counted how many. Things like this happen, and you have to stay focused.”
She adjusted her sunglasses, which complemented her pearl earrings and necklace. “Everyone I’ve met when I’ve been here has lost their homes. Everyone. Everyone.”
In December, Barger became chair of the board for a second time. The first time was when the COVID-19 pandemic started.
“I think God is testing me,” she joked. “This is a challenge, but it’s not insurmountable.”
I had asked Barger to take me around Altadena. Accompanying us were Dupuy, two members of Barger’s staff and USC professor and MacArthur genius grantee Natalia Molina, who lives in Pasadena about a mile south of the sheriff’s station.
Nineteen members of Molina’s Altadena gym lost their homes. She told Barger she was ready to help in any way.
“I’m bilingual, I can write, I can make presentations,” she said. The supervisor nodded and asked a staffer to take down the profe‘s information.
“Good,” Barger replied, “because we need helpers right now.”
Barger says many of her friends in the community have lost their homes.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Dupuy took us to Mariposa Avenue, nicknamed Millionaire’s Row because of its huge mansions, including his childhood home, originally built for map publishing magnate Andrew McNally. All that stood now were chimneys, brick walls and blackened trees.
“All levels of government need to help people rebuild, and fast,” Barger said. Firetrucks from Watsonville, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa and Oxnard idled nearby. Firefighters zipped past us on ATVs.
“I’m trying to stay out of the whole political thing, but FEMA’s been broken for a while,” she said. “And during crises, who benefits from fighting each other? You have to lead.”
A fleet of black SUVs passed, then suddenly stopped. State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas popped out, along with almost all of L.A. County’s Assembly members. They greeted Barger as if she were a rock star.
“I appreciate all your leadership,” Rivas told the supervisor.
“If you need anything, I’ve got you, my friend,” said newly elected Eastside Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez.
Another newly elected Assembly member, Sade Elhawary, who represents South L.A. and whose sister lost a home in the Eaton fire, told me she wants to help Barger ensure that Altadena’s Black community doesn’t get pushed out in the rebuilding effort.
“The community trauma here,” Elhawary said, “is next level.”
Last to greet Barger was John Harabedian, also a newcomer, who represents Altadena and unsuccessfully ran against Barger in 2020.
“She’s unbelievable,” he said as other Assembly members nodded. “I don’t think the community can ask for a better leader. You can tell in everything she does that it’s personal.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger hugs Pablo Scarpellini, whose wife’s Spanish-immersion school burned down in the Eaton fire.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Barger thanked everyone, then spotted Pablo Scarpellini. He was reporting for Spain’s El Mundo newspaper but also had a personal connection to the destruction around us: His wife’s Spanish-immersion school burned down.
“We’re really counting on you to rebuild,” he told Barger.
“We’re going to rebuild,” she replied. “We’re ready to move mountains.”
Barger said she had told Rivas earlier that Sacramento needs to offer tax breaks to residents who lost their homes, so they can afford to rebuild and stay in their neighborhoods. He told her that the Legislature was ready to help in any way.
“And red tape,” she scoffed. “We say we want to get rid of it all the time, but we need to do it. I want people like Pierre to be able to stay here.”
We were now at Santa Rosa Street. In December, it’s known as Christmas Tree Lane because of the ornate holiday displays. The large cedars lining the road weren’t even singed and were still draped with untouched, old-school holiday lights — but nearly all the homes were ruined. Cars in driveways looked like melted ice cream cakes.
Barger had kicked off the annual neighborhood celebration, a 104-year-old tradition that attracts visitors from all over, just a few weeks ago.
“She flipped the switch,” Dupuy said, shaking his head.
Barger looked around. “There’s no rhyme or reason to any of this,” she said, her voice catching. “And, I, um … it’s just …”
The enormity seemed to have finally hit her. She looked up at palm trees whose fronds had turned to ashes at her feet, slumped her shoulders and head and stayed quiet for a bit. The sight of an L.A. County Fire Department truck lifted her spirits.
“Where are you from?” she asked the crew. Duarte, they responded.
She smiled. “I’m your supervisor, and I love you.”
We kept walking. An ugly siren screeched on her phone. It was an L.A. County evacuation alert.
“We’re in the zone for it,” she said with a smirk. A few days ago, a series of errant alerts went out to people in L.A. County and even Orange County on their smartphones, fraying already fragile nerves. “This one makes sense.”
I brought up Donald Trump. Earlier that morning, Barger announced that she had sent a letter to the incoming president, asking him to visit Altadena and other affected communities. She hopes he can free up federal funds to help with rebuilding and assist those in need.
Barger talks to California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, left, and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna as they examine the damage in Altadena.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“My constituents don’t care about party,” said Barger, the board’s only Republican. “They care about who’s going to help them. And it’s important for the president-elect to recognize that the people he said he was running for — the working people who can’t afford the rent, who think the price of eggs are too high — are right here.
“I’ll camp out on the White House lawn until he comes,” she said with a laugh. “But I think he will.”
After a short jaunt on Wapello Street to see the incinerated property of a couple both Molina and I are friends with — all that remained standing was a slide for their grandkids — we arrived at Farnsworth Park. The rec center was still smoldering. A giant oak tree lay on its side.
“When I became chair, I said I wanted to bring unity to our board,” Barger said. “Unity is still going to be my focus. But it’s also going to be about rebuilding — rebuilding the lives of my constituents, but also people’s faith in government. I’m going to be laser-focused like you’ve never seen.”
Then came another brigade of black SUVs. L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna and California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta got out to greet Barger.
“I brought my wife and her mother here for salsa night,” Luna told her as they hugged. “They danced their butts off!”
I asked if he had faith in Barger to lead the county’s recovery efforts.
“Simply put, she cares. The supervisor is not talking from notes. You can see it in her eyes. I’ll tell you what — she kicks our butts,” he said, referring to L.A. County department heads like himself.
“I’ve got to keep this momentum going,” Barger said as we walked down Lake toward the sheriff’s station, referring to all the elected officials who suddenly wanted to talk to her. Her phone kept ringing during our two-hour walk. While I was winded toward the end, she never broke a sweat. “Because the fire is going to be put out, but then we have a lot of work to do.”
There was a news conference to attend, conversations to have about when to let residents return to their burned-out neighborhoods — she’s hoping for Thursday. She then noticed an immaculate house. Birds were chirping. A rooster crowed in the distance. AT&T and Southern California Edison vehicles drove around.
“This is a friend of mine’s house,” she said. “They’ve been freaking out.”
The supervisor snapped a photo with her smartphone. “I’m going to text them, and let them know it’s fine.”