Sierra Madre issues public-safety update as Eaton Fire reaches 35% containment; shelters, repopulation, cleanup guidance provided

Sierra Madre City officials gave a public update Tuesday, Jan. 14, on the Eaton Fire, reporting that incident containment stands at 35% and that the fire has burned a little over 14,000 acres across the region while threatening and damaging structures in and around the city.

City Manager Jose Reynoso opened the update and listed available resident resources, saying, "Thank you for joining us for this critical update on the ongoing Eaton Fire." He said shelters are operating at the Pasadena Convention Center, Westwood Recreation Center and El Camino Real Charter High School, and that a local assistance center would open at the Pasadena City College Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd., from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. the day of the briefing and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. the following day.

Fire command reported the incident-wide containment figure and provided damage and resource totals. "Current conditions is the containment is at 35%," the Fire Chief said. He said the incident has affected a little over 14,000 acres; more than 7,000 structures across the incident area have been damaged or destroyed; Sierra Madre has 54 structures impacted and 15 destroyed, including main buildings and accessory dwelling units. He said 15 fatalities have been reported for the incident overall and that Sierra Madre had reported zero fatalities. The chief listed 3,235 assigned personnel and resources including 316 engines, 51 hand crews, 21 dozers, 88 water tenders and 16 helicopters, and reported five firefighter injuries.

Officials warned residents about weather and safety risks. The Fire Chief said the National Weather Service had issued high-wind warnings and red-flag warnings for the area, with northeast winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts to about 65 mph possible through Wednesday afternoon, and cautioned that "we are not out of any type of weather that can impact the current conditions." He advised limiting outdoor activity due to smoke and particulate matter, recommended use of N95 masks for sensitive groups, and warned that fire-damaged materials may contain hazardous substances such as asbestos and that damaged lithium-ion batteries can pose a re-ignition risk.

Officials gave instructions on cleanup and return-to-home safety. The Fire Chief urged residents to exercise caution when re-entering properties, avoid unstable structures and downed wires, and verify gas and electricity before use. Debris-removal guidance was directed to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). Public works crews and contract crews from Merchant Landscape are removing wind-driven debris; city staff said barricades will be placed in strategic locations to mitigate debris and mudflow and that spoiled-food disposal is available at Sierra Vista Park in designated bins. City staff asked residents not to place property debris on streets or parkways and to continue using green-waste bins on regular collection days.

The city also outlined assistance and support options. City Manager Reynoso said residents can apply for FEMA assistance at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA; temporary housing is available through a partnership with 211 LA and Airbnb.org; and mental-health support is available through the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and the disaster-stress hotline listed during the briefing. The Fire Chief directed listeners to the incident site on InciWeb for up-to-date information.

Police officials said repopulation has begun. The Police Chief reported that "the city has begun repopulating," that there were no reported issues related to repopulation at the time of the update, and that the Sierra Madre Police Department is at maximum deployment, with National Guard assistance and extra patrols from eight neighboring police agencies. The Police Chief asked residents to report suspicious activity and advised that residents on Grandview and north of Grandview, including the Mary’s Market parking lot, should avoid parking on the street to facilitate ingress and egress for public safety operations.

Officials closed by asking residents to monitor official city and incident websites for the latest updates and to follow safety guidance while crews continue suppression, cleanup and recovery operations.