EATON FIRE 2025

CA DSC 01168 1-07-25 2257 Hours E. Crary and Valencia - Unincorporated Pasadena

The Eaton Fire Portfolio – William Karl Valentine

I was born and raised in Pasadena, California. My 98-year-old mother still lives in my childhood home. Midday on January 7th, 2025, I went up to Pasadena to do her grocery shopping and clean up the debris in the yard from the high winds; the strongest gusts I have ever experienced. I knew about the Pacific Palisades fire from the radio while driving up. Around 6:30 PM I was walking into the market when I smelled smoke. I have seen the mountains above Pasadena burn numerous times in my life so I looked towards them but couldn’t see the flames. While shopping I heard people talking about a fire, then I got a phone call from someone telling me the news said nearby Eaton Canyon was on fire. When I left the parking lot I got a better view of the mountains and saw the fire which was raging. The fire was reported at 6:18 PM and fifteen minutes structures a mile away were burning from the ember cast. I took my first photograph of the fire at 7:07. I received a mandatory evacuation notice on my phone at 7:28 PM.

I monitored the fire all night and eventually was awake for 36 hours straight. Just before midnight I met my first fire victim while at a walk-up window ordering food. The man behind calmly told us his Upper Hastings Ranch (Pasadena) home had just burned down. That amplified how real it was, and I sensed his shock. Later I drove around the neighborhood and watched TV to see the progress of the fire. Two homes on my mom’s street burned but luckily the closest was two blocks away. The most ominous thing that night was standing outside and being able to hear the booms from homes collapsing in Altadena. The winds died down before sunrise when I headed out to photograph more. I saw people fighting to save their homes, very few fire trucks, and fires slowly consuming homes. The Eaton Fire killed at least 17 people and destroyed 9,400 structures and damage at least 1,000; I know so many people effected.

I knew early on I was witnessing something historic. When I was confident my mom was safe, I turned my focus to documenting as much as I could. I have been photographing the devastation as often as I can since. The images seem to come easily because there is so much to document, but working on this portfolio is emotionally exhausting.

I also want to thank everyone I have met while photographing for this portfolio. Everyone has been very willing to tell me their story with the fire and pose for photographs. Lots of people are hurting from this event.

This portfolio is being updated often as I continue to photograph and upload images.