Eaton Fire victims to be relocated from Pasadena Convention Center
The Pasadena Convention Center will no longer serve as a shelter for victims of the Eaton Fire as the American Red Cross plans to relocate closer to Altadena.
The Pasadena location’s last day of operations will be Friday so the shelter can be moved to “a better location,” a Red Cross spokesperson told Pasadena Now.
“Most of them are Altadena residents, so we’re trying to move them somewhere where they’re closer to home so they can get back to a little more normalcy before we fully close our shelters,” said Angel Sauceda, regional communications director for the American Red Cross.
The Pasadena Star-News reports that city officials requested they get the convention center back in early February.
“The longer we operate the shelter at the Convention Center some business decisions will have to be made,” Finance Director Matthew Hawkesworth said during a Tuesday City Council meeting. “The Convention Center has contractual commitments to entities that are scheduled to move in and host events and operate there.”
In a statement released by Pasadena spokesperson Lisa Derderian, officials assured those affected by the Eaton Fire that while “transitions are always part of the shelter process,” the Red Cross will make sure “no one is left without options.”
“They will continue providing shelter and support until every household has a plan in place for what comes next,” the statement said. “And the City remains fully committed to working hand in hand with the Red Cross, as well as local nonprofits and community partners, to provide assistance every step of the way. While February 8th was set as the goal for transitioning the shelter at the Convention Center, we want to make it clear that no one will be left behind or shut out.
“In moments like these, accurate information is critical,” the statement continues. “Misinformation and rumors don’t help the healing process. What does help is knowing that our community is here to support one another, that resources are available, and that no one is facing this alone. If any shelter residents have questions, they can reach out to Red Cross staff on-site, who are there to listen, to guide, and to provide the latest information and assistance.”
As of Tuesday, 272 people were at the shelter, with about two-thirds of them coming from Altadena, according to the Star-News. At its peak, 1,140 people took shelter at the Convention Center.
Derderian told KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos that the Red Cross and others are working to find new housing for these fire victims.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the shelter isn’t expected to close until Feb. 17.