Home Care In Altadena, CA

Ken Johnson found himself in a situation that was impossible to, well, bear.

A 550-pound male black bear wedged itself into the crawl space underneath Johnson’s Altadena home just after Thanksgiving. Officials tried air horns, cherry and caramel flavored bait and even a trap that caught the wrong bear.

By Christmas, the enormous mammal had done serious damage — turning on a gas line under the house —that forced Johnson to live without hot water.

But this week, the unwelcome house guest, dubbed Yellow 2120 by researchers, finally got his formal eviction notice.

Volunteers with the BEAR League, a nonprofit based in Lake Tahoe, chased out the bear in roughly 20 minutes using paintball guns on Tuesday.

“We do a lot of evictions,” said Ann Bryant, the executive director of BEAR League. “We’re up to about 150 a year now — bears under houses, so we’re well versed on how to do it.”

It’s not a job for the faint of heart. Generally, Bryant says, the volunteer will get into the crawl space with the bear, get behind the massive animal and scare him by yelling, clapping and sometimes firing a paintball gun.

“They know they shouldn’t be there anyway, it’s human habitat,” Bryant said. “They get scared and run off.”

Aside from being a general nuisance with their ferocious snores, pungent odors and growls, bears can do serious damage to a home. In their attempt to find a cozy place to rest, bears can destroy insulation, wiring, heating ducts and water and gas lines as they tear into crawl spaces.

While the ordeal was incredibly frustrating for Johnson, updates on his unusual guest have been an unexpected distraction and obsession for a community that has lost so much.

Johnson started a GoFundMe to raise money to fix the damage inflicted by the bear, which he estimated is in the range of tens of thousands of dollars. More than 100 people had donated $4,200 as of Friday morning.

“Right after surviving the Eaton fire, I lost my job, and shortly after that the bear began tearing into the structure of my home,” Johnson wrote. “Professional traps, safety measures, and repairs are incredibly expensive, and I’m being forced to pay for all of it myself while unemployed.”

Bryant said her organization stepped in to help Johnson after hearing that he had to turn off utilities to his home.

“We felt sorry for him, and we didn’t want him to have to go through that all the way until spring when the bear leaves,” she said.

This wasn’t the first time Yellow 2120 had been spotted in Altadena. The bear was caught in the area in the last year and was relocated about 10 miles away from Johnson’s home, but apparently returned in the last five months, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

California is home to an estimated 60,000 black bears, the highest population estimate in the contiguous United States. Bear sightings, particularly on trash day, aren’t uncommon for communities like Altadena nestled at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. But some say last year’s Eaton fire made the situation worse, driving bears out of their habitat and increasing the number of home invasions.

Before the BEAR League stepped in, Johnson had exhausted all efforts trying to get the bear to leave his property.

He rigged a burglar alarm with foam so it made a loud clattering sound. He burned CDs with hours of dog barking audio and pointed speakers into the vents, all in the hopes of flushing Yellow 2120 out.

It didn’t work.

“I just don’t feel completely at home in my own house, as long as he’s under there,” Johnson told The Times last month.

Biologists at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife set up a bear trap at the house in early December to try to catch Yellow 2120. About a week later, Johnson heard the rattling of the metal cage. But he found it hadn’t captured the right bear.

The bear that was caught was tagged and released in a nearby suitable habitat, according to the department.

As for Yellow 2120, he returned to Johnson’s property soon after the volunteers left, Johnson told KTLA. But he found the environment to be much less hospitable than the first time around.

What do you use when you’re trying to dissuade a house guest that just won’t take a hint?

If the uninvited guest is a bear, the answer is an electrified mat, apparently. The absolutely-not-welcome mat, placed at the entrance to Johnson’s crawl space, gave the bear a little shock when he returned.

Yellow 2120 decided it was finally time to hit the road.

Staff writer Sandra McDonald contributed to this report.

Dawes marked the one year anniversary of the Eaton Fire that devastated the town of Altadena, California with an all-star benefit concert at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. Dawes co-founders – brothers Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith – recruited many fellow musicians impacted by the wildfires – for the “A Concert For Altadena” event, whose proceeds went to the Altadena Builds Back Foundation supporting recovery efforts.

Altadena resident, actor/musician John C. Reilly served as the emcee of the all-star concert, which included speeches by local government officials, representatives from groups involved in recovery efforts and others impacted by the wildfire.

Ozomatli and Everclear were first to perform, followed by the Dawes set. The Goldsmith brothers were accompanied by guitarists Eric Krasno, keyboardist Adam MacDougall and bassist Alan Hampton, as well as guitarist Trevor Menear. Lucius vocalists Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe also logged extensive stage time.

One of the instruments Taylor Goldsmith utilized was a Fender Telecaster electric guitar built from a tree that burned down in the Eaton Fire. Fittingly, the Dawes & Friends set began with Goldsmith and Brad Paisley leading a cover of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.,” which has been an anthem of sorts over the past year.

Taylor Goldsmith’s actor/musician wife Mandy Moore came out to sing “Candy.” Rock ‘n’ roll legend Stephen Stills helmed takes on Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and CSN’s “Love the One You’re With.” Aloe Blacc was part of “For What It’s Worth” after leading his Avicii collab “Wake Me Up.”

Brandon Flowers of The Killers was the last guest to appear on stage, which included performances of “When You Were Young” and Bruce Springsteen’s “The Promised Land.”

Jenny Lewis (“Rise Up With Fists!!”), Lord Huron (The Kinks’ “Strangers”), Rufus Wainwright (The Beatles’ “Across The Universe”) and Judith Hill (“Cry, Cry, Cry”) were among the others sharing the stage for the emotional night of music.

“A Concert For Altadena” was livestreamed by nugs and the replay is available to All Access subscribers.

Scroll through footage captured at the event and posted by Youtuber John Ziegwied-Front & Center Concert Videos:

Last spring, Realtor Teresa Fuller saw signs that the epic task of rebuilding Altadena could be a local affair, with potential buyers wanting to place a bet on the community’s future.

“Early on, the market was very active. A lot of Altadenans, a lot of La Cañadans, a lot of people wanted to be involved in the rebuild,” said Fuller, a real estate agent in Altadena.

But as more and more lots hit the market, buyers and sellers both had to adjust their expectations. By mid-summer 2025, inventory had reached its high point, with around 160 active lot listings in Altadena, according to Fuller. That number dropped to 75 by the end of the year as prices fell.

Now, there are growing signs that outside investors have moved in and dominated the market, with profound implications for the future.

A new report from Redfin shows that at least 40% of lot sales in the fire-damaged areas in both Altadena and Pacific Palisades went to investors in the third quarter of 2025. This raises the likelihood, some experts say, that outsiders may hold off on rebuilding to maximize their investment.

The finding comes amid worries from fire survivors in Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu that their communities will be rebuilt by investors.

In Altadena, 27 of the 61 lots that sold in July, August and September of last year were purchased by investors, or 44%. Malibu saw a similar percentage of investor purchases, while in Pacific Palisades the ratio was 40%.

“Following these disasters, it’s really difficult for residents to hold onto their homes,” said Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. “It’s really unfortunate.”

By contrast, Redfin analysis showed that nationwide, less than a fifth of single-family homes — 17% — were purchased by investors over the same time period.

Sellers often ask prospective buyers whether they plan to live in the property they are buying, but those calls have become much more rare over time for Fuller. More than half of those who come looking for a lot see the hurdles of building in charred neighborhoods and decide to switch their focus to existing homes, she said.

“People are realizing how hard it is to build a house,” Fuller said. “It’s a full-time job.”

As for investors, some are “buying and waiting to see what the new construction market looks like,” she said. “We have a lot of developers in town who are really trying to be sensitive to fitting in to the neighborhood.”

A year after more than 6,000 homes were destroyed in the Eaton fire, 2,600 rebuild applications had been submitted and 1,100 permits issued, according to Fuller.

Though some investors like lottery winner Edwin Castro have made headlines by purchasing multiple lots, the process is largely opaque and the names of the buyers are obfuscated by limited liability companies, or LLCs, Fairweather said.

“It could be foreign entities, it could be private equity, we really have no way of knowing who’s buying up this land,” she said.

Two brothers from New Zealand snapped up $65 million worth of lots in Malibu last year and said they planned to build on the lots.

While homeowners who lost a house to the fires would be motivated to rebuild quickly, investors might be in less of a hurry, possibly sitting on lots for years to maximize the resale price of a rebuilt home, she said. The practice is known as land banking, Fairweather said. When this happens, overall rebuilding efforts can be slowed as lots sit empty and the positive impacts of mass rebuilding — people coming back to neighborhoods, stores reopening — are diminished.

A Times review of Redfin data confirmed that investors have made up a larger share of the market for lots in L.A.’s fire-damaged areas over time.

In Pacific Palisades, lot prices went into “free fall” between February and June last year as available lots flooded the market, dropping 40%, said Dan Urbach, a Realtor in that community.

Since then, prices have stabilized, and sales have been split relatively even between owner-users and investors. Despite the fear in the community, Urbach said the thought of private equity or corporations swooping in is not realistic.

“It’s going to be very difficult to buy up a whole block,” he said, “so I’m not as concerned about it.” He hasn’t seen any groups buy more than about a dozen homes.

In Altadena, inventory has dropped from 220 active lots in June to 127 now. A cooling off over the holidays is normal, he said, estimating that about half of the lots that will ultimately hit the market have already done so.

As more people reach insurance settlements, Urbach expects lot selling activity to pick up again. Though some land banking might happen, with developers sitting on land for five to seven years, he believes it won’t happen at a large scale.

In the wealthier Pacific Palisades and Malibu, affording to rebuild can be easier than in historically upper-middle-class Altadena.

“For the most part, it’s one-off or even parents buying lots for their children,” Urbach said.

One year ago, the Palisades and Eaton Fires burned more than 38,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures across Southern California communities. When 80-100 mph hurricane-level offshore winds fueled fast-moving firestorms across Southern California, the Newsom administration’s prepositioned resources were critical in helping emergency personnel act more quickly and save lives.

Here’s how California’s emergency system responded when minutes mattered, and how that response is shaping the state’s approach to future fires.

Coordinated Response to the Palisades and Eaton Fires

While Southern California faced multiple fires in early 2025, the two most devastating fires were the Palisades and Eaton Fires. The Palisades Fire burned through Pacific Palisades and spread into Malibu and the unincorporated communities of Topanga Canyon, while the Eaton Fire burned in Altadena and nearby foothill neighborhoods.

Ahead of the firestorm and heeding high-wind advisories, Cal OES worked with partners to anticipate extreme conditions, share critical fire-weather information, and facilitate the prepositioning of resources, allowing for first responders to strategically deploy. As the state’s leadership hub during all major emergencies and disasters, Cal OES led a unified, whole-of-government response – coordinating statewide mutual aid, activating the around-the-clock State Operations Center, and supporting local responders on the ground.

In the days and months that followed, unprecedented recovery efforts began immediately. Local partners, fire and emergency personnel, and state agencies worked side-by-side in a comprehensive effort to stabilize communities, address immediate needs and begin long-term recovery.

The coordinated efforts before, during, and after the LA fires were vital in streamlining operations and helping survivors quickly get information and resources.

Unified Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

Anticipating potentially extreme fire weather, Cal OES was expeditious in approving local prepositioning resource requests. Through the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System, Cal OES prepositioned 88 local firefighting resources and more than 100 specialized personnel within Southern California. When 80-100 mph hurricane-level offshore winds fueled fast-moving firestorms across Southern California, the prepositioned resources were critical in helping first responders act more quickly and save lives.

To further enhance the state’s posture, CAL FIRE relocated 45 more engines and six additional hand crews from Northern California to Southern California.

On January 7, California secured Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) to ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire. While on the ground in Pacific Palisades, Governor Gavin Newsom also proclaimed a state of emergency and subsequently received approval for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration on January 8.

Cal OES coordinated more than 16,000 personnel and 2,000 pieces of fire equipment during the height of response operations for the LA Fires. Additionally, through Law Enforcement Mutual Aid (LEMA) requests, an additional 1,000 personnel were mobilized to support traffic control, evacuations, security patrols, infrastructure protection and anti-looting measures.

As the fires quickly progressed, support came from across borders, uniting agencies and communities in an effort to respond:

Access to life-saving information:

At the request of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, Cal OES issued 13 Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs). This operation marked the first time that the Cal OES Alert and Warning program assumed a primary alerting role on behalf of a local alerting authority during an active incident.

California enhanced public messaging to provide critical response and recovery information. With the support of Cal OES, California launched CA.gov/LAfires, a “one-stop-shop” website of resources for survivors. Initially unveiled during the firefight, the website was further expanded to include disaster recovery resources and allowed survivors to connect with state services faster.

Immediate Disaster Relief for Survivors

Cal OES swiftly opened Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) to provide critical aid to survivors. Cal OES recovery staff played a key role at the DRCs by coordinating resources, providing information, and connecting impacted residents, businesses, and community members with crucial local, state, and federal aid.

The DRCs supported more than 76,000 households, new and returning, with services including:

The DRCs provided critical debris removal information for survivors. According to Palisades fire survivor Gregory Runyon, the DRC supported him in making an informed decision about the government-run debris removal program.

“Each time I went [to the DRC], I got more comfortable,” Runyon said. “At no place did I ever have people talking to me that did anything but support me.”

In addition to providing direct support to survivors at DRCs, Cal OES and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened a Joint Field Office (JFO) in Pasadena as a physical hub for unified command. The JFO was pivotal in coordinating all response and recovery efforts between federal, state, tribal, local, private sector, and non-profit partners.

Coordinated efforts resulted in key milestones for LA recovery:

Watershed Protection: The Cal OES-led Watershed and Debris Flow Task Force placed 123 miles of protection materials around burn scar areas and cleared 300,000 cubic yards of debris from the Sierra Madre Villa Basin and Eaton Canyon Reservoir. The LA mission was the largest watershed protection mission completed, and mobilized more than 400 personnel.

In-Person Instruction Resumed for Students: Executive action was taken to prioritize debris removal and fast-track rebuilding for eight impacted school sites, and continue education for 5,000 displaced students. Cal OES and the Interagency Schools Task Force engaged the affected schools to develop plans to accommodate displaced students and resume instruction.

Debris Removal Completed in Record Time: At Governor Newsom’s direction, and led by the federal government, crews cleared 13,612 parcels of household hazardous waste in Phase 1 and removed remaining debris from 9,664 parcels in Phase 2. This cleanup was the fastest debris removal effort in modern U.S. history and the second largest in California history, following the Camp Fire. On the ground, the mission was led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA, with crucial support from Cal OES and the City and County of Los Angeles.

According to Eaton Fire survivor Amy Lightstone, the government-run debris removal program was essential for her to begin rebuilding.

“They will do it efficiently, and they will do it to the standards that need to be done,” Lightstone said. “It’s been amazing how many homes they’ve cleared.”

Drinking Water Restored: All nine water systems that were impacted were restored, resuming delivery of safe, clean drinking water through coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board, local water systems, and emergency response agencies.

Pacific Coast Highway Reopened: The Pacific Coast Highway reopened ahead of Governor Newsom’s “end of May” deadline, with Caltrans restoring up to two lanes in each direction for travelers. Throughout the recovery, Cal OES’s Watershed and Debris Flow Task Force worked quickly to protect the highway from hazardous post-fire runoff, helping the route reopen safely.

Will Rogers State Historic Park Reopened to the Public: After the LA Fires, Cal OES and debris removal crews used the park as a temporary debris removal hub, clearing 1.2 million tons of debris which resulted in 4,400 properties cleared in the Pacific Palisades Community. The reopening of the California State Park in November marked a significant milestone in recovery.

In an effort to address community needs, Cal OES answered more than 400 inquiries from elected officials, held 46 legislative briefings, and supported more than 275 community events and townhalls. These efforts enhanced coordination with all levels of government, private sector, community-based organizations, and nongovernmental organizations to fast-track support for survivors.

Cal OES honors the extraordinary resilience of the communities impacted by the LA Fires as they rebuild stronger, safer, and more resilient communities.

Two of the most destructive wildfires on record in California forever changed landscapes and lives when they burned into neighborhoods in the Palisades and Altadena one year ago in a ferocious windstorm.

The 23,700-acre Palisades Fre became the ninth-deadliest and third-most destructive wildfire on record in California. Twelve deaths were reported in connection with the Palisades Fire, which destroyed more than 6,800 structures. The Eaton Fire grew to 14,000 acres, leaving 19 people dead and destroying 9,400 structures. It is the fifth-deadliest and second-most destructive wildfire in California history.

As the flames from the Eaton and Palisades fires were contained weeks after they ignited Jan. 7, 2025 and large-scale evacuation orders were lifted, property owners returned to see first-hand what was left behind and grapple with the uncertainty what came next.

First came the two-phase cleanup process, which involved the clearing of household hazardous waste by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the removal of structural debris, a task handled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or through a contractor chosen by homeowners. According to the county, more than 10,000 properties opted in to the Corps of Engineers' debris clearance program.

Once debris was cleared, property owners who sought to rebuild embarked on a permitting process handled by various local governments, including Los Angeles County, the city of Los Angeles, and the cities of Malibu and Pasadena. The city of Los Angeles alone received more than 3,000 permit applications, 1,440 of which have been issued at the start of January, according to the city. Nearly 2,900 applications for rebuilding permits were received by Los Angeles County, 1,153 of which have been issued as of Jan. 2, 2026.

Thousands of applications remain in review.

The images below show parts of the Palisades and Altadena after the January Palisades Fire and roughly one year later in later December 2025. Use the slider tool to view images from then and now.

All images below are courtesy of Getty Images.

Altadena and the Palisades, then and now

Use the slider tool at the center of each image to switch views.

A photo taken Jan. 8, 2025 shows fire in a business district of Altadena. The same area is pictured on Jan. 5, 2026.

An aerial view on Jan. 21, 2025 of a single home surrounded by properties that burned during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area and the same area on Jan. 5, 2026.

In this first aerial image, the rubble of homes that burned in the Eaton Fire and a surviving palm tree are pictured on Jan. 19, 2025 in Altadena. The same area is pictured in December 2025 with a cleared lot and a remaining pool.

In this aerial view, Bishop Charles Dorsey leads a prayer rally April 12, 2025 for the Altadena community and for his church in what remained of the Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center after the Eaton Fire. The same area is pictured in December 2025 with a cleared lot.

Below, an aerial view of homes that burned in the Eaton Fire on Feb. 5, 2025 in Altadena and the same area as rebuilding continues on Dec. 28, 2025.

An aerial view of an Altadena neighborhood that was mostly destroyed in the Eaton Fire on Jan. 19, 2025 and the same area with some homes rebuilt nearly one year later

An aerial view shows homes that burned near two that were not destroyed in the Eaton Fire on Jan. 19, 2025 in Altadena and how the neighborhood looked at the end of December 2025.

Below, an aerial view of homes near the Pacific Ocean that were destroyed in the Palisades Fire with some lots cleared of debris on March 15, 2025 in Pacific Palisades and the same area in December 2025.

Below, a view of destroyed homes veiled in wildfire smoke as the Palisades Fire continued to burn in Los Angeles County on January 10, 2025 and the same area with vibrant green hillsides in December 2025.

An aerial view of homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire on Jan. 27, 2025 in Pacific Palisades and the same area with cleared lots and construction in December 2025.

An aerial view shows homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire on Jan. 27, 2025 in Pacific Palisades and how the area looks nearly one year later.

An aerial view of trees and homes that burned in the Palisades Fire on Jan. 28, 2025 in Pacific Palisades with an aerial view of surviving trees and cleared lots on Dec. 22, 2025.