On Tuesday, January 7, the forecasted Santa Ana winds picked up rapidly throughout the school day. The powerful gusts of wind sent the campus’ trees swaying, while dirt and leaves swirled past students hurrying indoors. At around 10:30 a.m., a fire broke out in the Pacific Palisades.

The worst was yet to come. That night, two fires blazed through Los Angeles County, including the Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena, which has burned over 14,000 acres and intimately affected many Westridge families. Below is a timeline of events, detailing the Westridge community’s response to the fire: 

Tuesday, January 7

12:42 p.m. After-school activities cancelled

At 12:42 p.m., Westridge administration sent an email to students and parents notifying them that after-school activities such as sports practices and games, theatre rehearsals, Lower School Tinker Time, and Math Lab would be cancelled due to the winds “so that families and employees can be home and off the roads as early as possible.” Though parents were encouraged to pick their students up from school immediately after their dismissal, aftercare was still available for students that needed to stay at school past 3:10 p.m. 

6:18 p.m. Eaton Fire begins

Around 6:18 p.m. in Altadena, the Eaton Fire broke out near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive. Throughout the night, evacuation orders were rapidly issued, forcing many members of the Westridge community to flee their homes as the fire consumed Altadena. 

Spyglass Editor-in-Chief Ella B. ’25 saw the fire almost immediately outside her Pasadena home. She sent a picture of the early flames to Spyglass advisor Ms. Masami Hansen, notifying her that she would be missing the weekly Editorial Board meeting because she was evacuating. 

In Pasadena, Charlotte H. ’28 was staying at her dad’s house when she received a text from a friend notifying her that there was a fire in Altadena. Alarmed, Charlotte looked out of her window to find a fire blazing in the distance. Charlotte was supposed to be in Altadena with her mom that night, but the two evacuated earlier in the day due to the high winds. Seeing how close the fire had gotten, Charlotte left her dad to join her mom again, who evacuated to Culver City.

“We didn’t bring any valuables or anything. All I had was one overnight thing, with my uniform for the next day and my toothbrush. So I didn’t get to get anything that I would have wanted to take.” The following afternoon, Charlotte’s dad drove past their home in Altadena to discover that it had burned down.

Spyglass Design Team Manager Isa H. ’26 learned about the fire after their mom saw it from outside the window of their home in Pasadena. 10–20 minutes later, Isa, their parents, and their cat packed up the necessities (which was difficult because the power was out and it was dark outside) and evacuated their house. “I remember feeling really panicked but trying to stay calm,” Isa said. They recalled heavy traffic while evacuating because of the influx of evacuees trying to do the same. Their family evacuated to a hotel for the first night and then moved into their aunt’s house Wednesday morning. 

“We were basically just watching the news the entire time. We couldn’t watch anything else,” Isa said. After receiving constant updates via the news and family friends, Isa’s family grew concerned they would lose their home. However, when they heard that the firefighters were able to save their street, Isa’s entire family burst into tears. “That was the end of the terror for me. That was the moment that I could let go of some of the stress,” Isa said.

8:05 p.m. School cancelled January 8

At 8:05 p.m., Head of School Ms. Andrea Kassar sent a schoolwide email announcing the cancellation of school the following day. “That night, it became clear that things were dangerous. At that point, we didn’t really know what was going on, but we knew that it was not a safe situation,” Ms. Kassar told Spyglass.

Meanwhile, in the backyard of Chiara H. ’27’s home, a tree blown down by the wind knocked over a powerline. Chiara’s family was also housing a friend who was evacuated at the time. “It was pretty chaotic,” Chiara said.

Wednesday, January 8 

5:00 a.m. Evacuations continue

Early on Wednesday morning, sophomore Joovy C. received a blaring emergency alert evacuation order at 5 a.m. She was the first person in her family to receive the order. Minutes later, they were all packed up and evacuated to San Marino. Her family stayed in a hotel for several days but was able to return home on Sunday. While school was cancelled, Joovy volunteered at the Pasadena Convention Center, which was transformed into an evacuation site for victims of the Eaton fire. “I felt, really, like I wanted to do something,” she said.

8:24 a.m. Check in for all Westridge employees

The morning of January 8, Ms. Kassar sent a message to all of Westridge’s employees to check in. “I wrote that morning just to colleagues…just to say that I was thinking of them and sending love. This is so horrible and much more devastating than we ever imagined, and I was hoping that they were safe,” Ms. Kassar said.

12:46 p.m. School cancelled Thursday through Friday

At 12:46 p.m., Ms. Kassar sent an email to Westridge families, extending her wishes for their safety, reiterating key ideas from her message to faculty and staff, and announcing the cancellation of school for the remainder of the week. 

Thursday, January 9 

Morning

On the morning of January 9, the Eaton Fire had grown to over 10,000 acres and was still 0% contained. Many Westridge students, including Chiara H. ’27, woke up to alarmingly vibrant and smoky skies. “Waking up a few days later and consistently having the sky just be red was crazy,” she said.

1:05 p.m. Email to alumni

At 1:05 p.m., Ms. Kassar, Director of Advancement Ms. Sian Leong Adams, and Director of Alumnae Engagement Ms. Fan Wang sent an email to Westridge alumni offering support and assuring them that the campus remained intact. 

4:32 p.m. Support Resources to Upper School Students

At 4:32 p.m. on Thursday, Director of Upper School Dr. Melanie Arias sent an email to Upper School students notifying them of the resources available to them, such as online counseling with the Westridge counselors, directing families in need of support to the grade level representatives, and reassuring students that there would be no homework or assignments during that time.

8:33 p.m. Check in with families

As the Eaton fire continued to tear through LA county, Ms. Kassar updated families, reminding them of virtual counseling resources and informing families that the reopening date would be announced. 

Friday, January 10

12:00 p.m. Friendship reunion

On Friday, January 10, Westridge friends Eliza L. ’25 and Layla R. ’26 realized that they both evacuated to Oxnard. The two decided to meet up at the beach and ease some of the stress of the previous days. “Seeing Eliza kind of made me feel sane. I found so much relief in seeing someone who was going through almost the exact same situation as I was, with the same communities to worry about,” Layla said.

9:18 p.m. Communication with employees about following days 

At 9:18 p.m., Ms. Kassar reached out to faculty and staff about the staff day on Monday including division meetings “to connect as a community.” 

9:22 p.m. Announcement to Westridge families with return to school information

At 9:22 p.m., Ms. Kassar announced the reopening of school for Tuesday, January 14. “We are hearing from many families that their children need a return to some normalcy and community. The reopening of their school is certainly an important step.”

Multiple independent schools in the Pasadena area that were not in the evacuation zone decided to open either Monday or Tuesday. Ms. Kassar wanted to open on Tuesday because “we felt like it would be good to have a day on Monday where we could just gather with our faculty and staff because they too have been through a lot.”

Saturday, January 11

On Saturday, the Westridge carline transformed into a drive-through distribution event organized by Westridge parent Gina Zapanta to provide care packages for displaced families. Click here to read more about Gina Zapanta, her husband Mike Adler, and their efforts to help the victims of the Los Angeles fires.

Monday, January 13

As faculty and staff arrived on campus, they met in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). Ms. Kassar acknowledged the new reality: “When you meet in a different world, there isn’t a ‘return to normalcy’—that’s not really a thing, that’s not possible […] Rather we are together and welcoming our students back to school tomorrow in an attempt to be in community to provide for our students and each other.” Her remarks were later sent out to parents. 

After attending the faculty day on Monday, Upper School Art Teacher Ms. Shannon Keller, said, “It was a really emotional time, and I think that we were greeted in a really thoughtful way. We spent the day talking about ways that we can help our students, and I think that we were trying to embrace the pulse of our community.” 

Tuesday, January 14

The morning of Tuesday, January 14, faculty and staff welcomed students back to school in wake of the devastation. As students began entering campus, hugs were exchanged amid the lingering smell of smoke. Students returned to an adjusted schedule with a 45-minute morning advisory period followed by 60-minute classes and a lengthened lunch. At the time, the Eaton fire was 35% contained.

There were many different reactions from students coming back to school. Josephine S. ’27 felt the return was “odd,” especially because some people did not seem to acknowledge the fires at all. “I just think it was a really odd experience to be coming back to school while the fire was still happening and with so many lives greatly impacted,” she said.

Other students were happier to be back at school and in the community. “In the beginning, it was actually really nice, I didn’t expect that. Being in the community was nice, the teachers were really nice,” Zuri O. ’25 said.

Similarly, Stella W. ’31, said, “It was good to know that everyone was safe.” 

Ongoing Support

As the week progressed, administration emphasized community by holding advisory, class meetings, and a town meeting. Students were also reminded of the counselors available to them, and students who were impacted by the fires were welcomed to meet and talk in the Pitcairn living room. From the ashes and smoke of a community ravaged by tragedy, Westridge now sets their sights on the next step: rebuilding together.