What began as a typical Tuesday in the Altadena home of the Secada-Borrego family, a queer Latina couple with two children, unexpectedly shifted that afternoon when powerful wind gusts caused a blackout in their neighborhood.
With no electricity in the house and the workday unfinished, Malka Borrego and her partner Carola Secada told 14-year-old Harper Rose and her brother Jude Benito, 7, to grab pajamas, a change of clothes and their backpacks for an overnight stay at a nearby hotel in Pasadena with their dog Sushi. After checking in, Secada and Borrego completed their work and the family was planning to enjoy dinner out, a restful night and figured they would be back home by the next morning.
Unfortunately, recalled an emotional Borrego, that didn’t happen. Their home of nearly five years was among more than 9,400 structures – including houses, schools, businesses and places of worship – that were incinerated across Altadena in the devastating Eaton Fire.
While at the hotel they heard from a neighbor that fires had broken out near their home.
“About an hour later there were [about 50] people in line in the hotel lobby trying to get a room, and they were turning them away – there were no more rooms left,” said Borrego. “Evacuations had started and everyone was panicking.”
The fires raged and grew overnight, and early the next morning they were evacuated from the hotel. Unsure what to do, they decided to drive back to Altadena to see if their house was still standing. As they neared and started seeing homes on fire they became increasingly nervous. When they turned onto their block, they saw their home and nearby houses actively burning.
“As we pulled up, we saw everything was gone – and still on fire,” recounted Borrego.
“It was the four of us there seeing this,” added Secada. “It was traumatic, but it was also a little helpful that all of us saw the reality all at once, especially for the kids, to help us conceptualize that type of loss, so that we could start working through it [and] begin healing together.
“It’s been so overwhelming,” Secada continued. “At first, I think we were in shock and running on adrenaline, but, as we’ve learned, grief is like a big ocean – sometimes it comes in low tide, sometimes in high tide and sometimes it’s a tsunami. We’re feeling it on so many layers.”
Since that heartbreaking morning, Secada and Borrego have been juggling seemingly endless tasks daily, including trying to get answers from their insurance company and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to try to figure out the process of rebuilding their home. Borrego learned that initial FEMA claims are typically denied when a homeowner has insurance coverage, although they may still be eligible after settling their insurance claim.
“We’re also working at the same time, and our work requires us to be fully present for the people that we serve,” said Secada, who is director of people operations and special projects for Revolve Impact, a social impact-focused creative agency. Borrego is founder of MB Consulting Company, which provides consulting services addressing educational equity and school system leadership.
“We’re also taking care of our kids [and] feeling the overwhelming generosity and love we have been receiving, which can also be draining,” explained Secada.
Because they had California Fair Plan insurance, which provides basic fire coverage for high-risk properties, they expect only a modest payout to help them rebuild, and an estimated $60,000 for all the personal belongings destroyed in the fire – from clothing and important documents, to furniture and irreplaceable precious mementos.
“We lost everything,” said Borrego, noting that the financial compensation they expect to receive to help them cover the costs of rebuilding is “nowhere near what we’re going to need.”
“We’re just at the beginning of a very long process,” continued Borrego. “We don’t even have a sense of what a timeline would look like to be made whole again and be back home in Altadena.”
Despite the many challenges and unanswered questions, Secada was clear: “We’re aware of the privilege we have as two educated Latinas, with the background to kind of help us navigate this.
“We are so heartbroken for our neighbors that do not have that … or the incredible network of support we have,” continued Secada. “A lot of them had their insurance canceled a few months ago because their policies were being tripled or they were renters.”
Most of the homes on their street – near the corner of Altadena Drive and Allen Avenue – were completely decimated, but for Borrego and Secada, there is nowhere else they want to call home.
“We’ve found great communities before, but never one that fully saw and loved all parts of who we are,” said Secada. “Altadena did. Altadena embraced us – all of us.”
For Secada, Borrego and their kids, living in Altadena made them feel like they were part of a “much bigger family – 43,000 strong – because it’s more than a place; it’s a real community.
“There have been communities where I felt comfortable being a queer Latina or a first-generation immigrant [from Peru], but this was the first place where I didn’t have to code switch in any way,” described Secada. “We’re two Latinas, we’re gay, we have kids and … I didn’t have to hide any part of my identity. … So Malka and I built a home here, pouring in our hearts and every resource we had. We wanted it to be a place where everyone felt welcome.”
After shuttling between multiple hotels and homes since the fire, Secada said they’re grateful they were able to secure a six-month Airbnb rental in Highland Park, about 15 minutes from what is now the site of their old home.
“We’re staying close – physically and emotionally. We are 100% committed to [rebuilding], to [become] whole again in the new iteration of Altadena,” emphasized Secada. “We lost our house, but we haven’t lost our home. … We want to help our community rebuild. The buildings may be gone, but the heart of Altadena has grown even stronger, and we’re here for that.”
To help the Secada-Borrego family with expenses that won’t be covered by insurance or FEMA, Borrego’s sister launched a GoFundMe campaign:
www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-secadaborrego-family-after-the-eaton-fire.