Four months after hell crosses Altadena, rubble time capsules and filthy shops and restaurants still have shells in the commercial district of North Lake Avenue. Maggie Cortez’s beloved Mexican restaurant stall is near the top of the street, one of the few survivors in the town.
She and others fear that the area may remain a wasteland, while the residential area in Altadena continues to be redeveloped.
The Federal Emergency Administration ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clean up debris in private residences, some public buildings and places of worship, but not commercial properties.
“Removing debris of commercial property is the responsibility of the property owner,” the Army Corps said in a statement.
El Patron survived and destroyed many nearby businesses and communities.
Records show that the agency signed with ECC builders for more than $668 million to clean up residential homes in areas affected by the Eton fire. Therefore, although these lots were quickly cleared, most commercial property owners were left to clear the land. Many are questioning their ability to afford it with such a bleak business prospect, which puts the unincorporated town of toxic barriers in trouble.
Within El Patron, music playback overhead as customers are shipped to normal state. But reminding people that what happened in January is not out of reach – across the street are a ruin of pizza and a historic church, while warning tape is still clinging to the trees in nearby parks.
Cortez, 45, said customers — her “family”, whose photos were adorned on the walls — visited them on the way to inspect or supervise the restoration on the destroyed home. But after the initial surge, the business gradually weakened. She was worried about the survival of the restaurant.
Cortez lives two blocks away and knows the sight is a deterrent for potential diners, especially those who are still traumatized by the fire. “I can feel their pain,” she said.
El Patron lies in ruins on Lake Avenue.
Larry Hammond, a member of the Chamber of Commerce Committee, said whether business owners will be helped during the cleaning process was initially confusing. Now, reopening businesses are facing the question of how to attract people back as recovery continues, and those who burn down want to know if they can manage to reopen in areas where no one is. All of this bypasses all these questions, which are questions about properties that have not been cleared yet.
“As far as businesses are concerned, the future is unclear,” Hammond said. “The people who frequent local businesses are gone.”
Kathryn Barger, director representing Altadena, filed a motion last month to help the region’s economic recovery through small business loans and approved pop-up events and restaurants to operate in vacant lots over the next five years in order to bring customers back. The county announced Tuesday that businesses can apply for loans of up to $75,000 but need to be open to the public to qualify.
Barger consultant Anish Saraiya said supervisors advocate cleaning up debris, including commercial properties
From the streets of El Patron outside the Webster Community Pharmacy, trucks carry debris shuttles along the shops on Lake and Mendocino Street. The shops and the surrounding shopping complex survived, but nearby buildings burned.
Webster’s pharmacy owner Meredith Miller, right, had to move the store from its historic building after the Eaton Fire. On top, she embraces client and Altadena resident Nancy Allen.
Owner Meredith Miller said sales fell despite some loyal customers returning. She imagined the scene outside to no avail.
“Only one or two businesses have cleaned themselves up. Other than that, everything goes the way of the days of the fire. People really don’t want to see it,” said Miller, 71. “Because it’s frustrating.”
Displaced residents who now live in Grassle Park, Monrovia and other communities return to the residents of Webster when they check their properties and receive medication. Hugs are often shared between clients and Miller; tears fall off.
On the front is a donation section for people to pick up toys, toothpaste, sunglasses and books. The handbags, T-shirts and hats read “Beautiful Altadena” (a phrase created by the store a few years ago), and one of the new slogans of the community: “Altadena Strong”.
Webster’s pharmacy owner Meredith Miller had to move the store from its historic building after the Eaton Fire.
The pharmacy is a 99-year-old staple purchased by Miller and her husband 15 years ago. They moved to a location a few blocks from the original location last year and were locked into a five-year lease. Their hope is that the pharmacy has reached 100 years and beyond.
“We really don’t want to give up,” Miller said. “Eventually, people will go back to the community where they can fill prescriptions…but it will take a few years to rebuild.”
The fire has made companies work hard to solve various next steps. Fair Oaks Burger, for example, survived the fire and was ready to reopen in a few weeks. Hopefully the customer will return, but the owner plans to build a wall in the parking lot to hide the surrounding ruins. On the lake, the owners of Fox Restaurant cleared their land, but were not in a hurry to rebuild. Less than five blocks away, Altadena Hardware is trying to find a new place in the town to reopen as the buildings they leased were destroyed, but the possibility is limited.
Miller believes cleaning up a home should be a priority, but says the community’s stores, offices and restaurants also need help.
“Don’t leave us behind,” she said. “We are the business you rely on and rely on for years.”
Living and working in Altadena before the fire, according to 2023 data provided by Barger’s office.
Gail Casburn has lived in the area since 1989. Her house in Las Flores was burned down, but her beer and wine bar survived Fair Oaks Avenue in another commercial district in town. She and her husband opened the Altadena Ale and Wine House to serve locals, but there is no community and few have a reason to visit. She was sure that constantly seeing buildings laid on the streets was a deterrent force.
“There is no doubt that destruction is surreal,” she said.
The bar recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. Casburn said there was a surge in customers that day, but the place was quieter than before. She said another business of her family—the Jazz Club in 1881, which was east of the Bourne district—also made the business slow.
The Eaton Fire destroyed many nearby businesses and communities, and El Patron’s owner Maggie Cortez is fighting for its survival.
Mexican tramp performs in the El Patron restaurant in the shadow of the burnt structure on Lake Avenue.
On the dark and drizzling Cinco de Mayo, the balloon is the entrance to El Patron played by a mariachi band. Music filled the restaurant and sprinkled onto the street.
Cortez has considered canceling the annual event, but her clients encourage her to move forward. “It’s hope,” they told her. “This is a miracle.”
Long-gathered regulars; Cortez hugged everyone and pulled her customers (her family) from her seat to dance, delivered tequila and introduced them to her granddaughter, born shortly after the fire.
Outside, the consequences of the fire are visible, and the smell of ash lingers with the arrival of the rain. But inside, the celebrations overshadowed the sight of the destruction.
