(The Center Square) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday announced his office is investigating whether there was discrimination against the historically Black neighborhoods of West Altadena during the devastating Eaton Fire.
The fire burned 14,0212 acres, killed at least 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 structures in January 2025. The average age of people who died was 77, according to Bonta’s office.
The state Department of Justice is investigating whether there was potential race, age or disability discrimination in the emergency response, Bonta said.
“Specifically, we’ll be looking at whether the systems and structures at play contributed to a delay in the [Los Angeles County’s] evacuation notice and possible disparities in emergency response in West Altadena,” he said. He added the investigation follows concerns expressed by residents and noted the community brought “compelling evidence” to his office.
Bonta said evacuation warnings came many hours after warnings went to the rest of Altadena, an unincorporated community in the Pasadena area, but an investigation is needed to determine the reasons.
He also noted the investigation has been going on for several months before Thursday’s announcement.
Answering The Center Square’s questions during a virtual news conference, Bonta said he didn’t know how long the investigation would take.
But it would be at least multiple months, he said. “There’s not going to be a conclusion next week or next month.”
“Our hope is we will have full cooperation from every agency and entity and individual we reach out to for the investigation,” Bonta said.
He noted good cooperation would make the investigation go faster.
The investigation would not result in money damages, he added, which is something victims would need to take a different path to pursue.
Instead the remedies would be in governmental practices, policies and training, Bonta said.
A 2025 Washington State Auditor report found that KCRHA experienced a negative cash balance of more than $35 million in 2024, incurring hundreds of thousands in overdraft and interest fees.
