The Eaton Fire has left a tremendous scar on Southern California’s culture and politics for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, it’s stopped advancing for some time now, but the statistics are still top of mind: 17 dead, 14,000+ acres burned, 9,000+ structures destroyed, 1,000+ structures damaged.
During the early weeks of the fire, social media was a frenzy of good and bad information on destruction and safety, spite directed at elected officials, renewed revelation about the exploitation of incarcerated firefighters, and finger pointing over the funding and capabilities of Los Angeles City and County first responders.
There have also been scenes of hope, though. Ordinary people have stepped up to bring mutual aid to neighbors, including those who’ve lost everything. From food, to clothing, shelter, donations, and DIY air filters – L.A. residents have thrown their arms around the survivors, and many have found a greater purpose in doing so.
This week on SGV Connect, we look at how these actions have changed public perceptions of our collective responsibility and power.
In part one of our episode, we’ll get an overview from L.A. Public Press Mutual Aid reporter Phoenix Tso, who covered distributions for both those directly displaced in Altadena, as well as unhoused people affected by poor air quality. A transcript of the interview can be found here.
Then in part two, we’ll listen to how north Pasadena journalist and resident Tamika Adams-Furniss went from fleeing in a terrifying evacuation to spearheading deliveries of home made air filters to her neighbors. A transcript of her interview is available here.
If hearing about these life-changing experiences inspires you to help those affected by the Eaton Fire, but you don’t know where to begin, check out these databases of displaced families’s fundraisers, and organizations distributing donations and supplies.
Streetsblog’s San Gabriel Valley coverage is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the A Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”Sign-up for our SGV Connect Newsletter, coming to your inbox on Fridays!
Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m using this week’s SGV Connect to encourage listeners to start listening to my other podcast, StreetSmart which appears at Streetsblog California.
This week’s SGV Connect features clips from three different StreetSmart interviews.
The first is with Jeanie Ward-Waller where we de-mystify the California Transportation Commission. A little-heard-of board that approves billions of dollars of state transportation funds every year. In this clip, we discuss why it’s important to have progressives and activists in some of the voting board positions. For the full podcast, and transcript, click here.
Our second interview is with a UCLA researcher who literally may have forgotten more about transportation than I’ll ever know, Juan Matute. In this podcast, we discuss the state of transit funding as the state continues its economic recovery from COVID and loses a funding partner for its most ambitious projects. In this clip, Matute pushes expansion of Bus Rapid Transit, as a way the state can spend smarter. For the full podcast, and transcript, click here.
The third clip is from an interview that we haven’t published anywhere else yet, it’ll debut on Streetsblog California next Tuesday. In this one, I’m interviewing both Adriana Rizzo of Californians for Electric Rail and Roger Rudick, the editor of Streetsblog San Francisco, about the status of High-Speed rail in the state. In this clip, we’re talking about how the project is shaped as a loser in the press, but never actually loses at the ballot box. For the full podcast and transcript, you’ll have to wait until next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Chris is working on a podcast featuring stories from the wildfires that raged last month. Stay tuned.
SGV Connect is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the new Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”
Sign-up for our SGV Connect Newsletter, coming to your inbox on Fridays!