The Altadena story is still unfolding.
This documentation is part of an ongoing effort to preserve the voices, businesses, memories, and community impact of the wildfires through photography, interviews, and visual storytelling.
The Project
On the Ground When It Mattered
When the 2025 Altadena wildfires swept through one of Los Angeles County's historic Black communities, Blacklight Imaging went directly into the affected area to document what was happening on the ground. We interviewed business owners whose stores had burned. We photographed families in the ruins of homes they had built over generations. We created oral history recordings with community members who wanted their stories to exist beyond the immediate news cycle.
This work was not commissioned. It was a commitment. Blacklight believes that communities in crisis need documentation as much as they need relief. Because documentation is what allows you to prove what you lost, to tell your story to funders and media, and to maintain a public presence when everything else has been taken away.
The Wild Seed — Blacklight's anchor community partner — provided the organizational infrastructure and community trust that made rapid-response documentation possible. Together, we reached businesses and residents within the first weeks of the disaster, when documentation was most urgent and least available.
"When you lose everything in a fire, one of the first things gone is your public presence. Your website. Your social media. Your ability to look professional to customers, lenders, and grant reviewers."
What We Gave Back
Every Person and Business We Documented Received:
Documentation is not just a record. In a crisis, it is a tool. We made sure every participant left with something they could use immediately.
High-resolution photographs they own permanently
Access to video interview footage for their own use
A professional business or personal portrait for grant applications and media
Optional help crafting a written statement to accompany their documentation
Referrals to recovery resources, business support programs, and community services
"Blacklight showed up for us when no one else was documenting what happened to our community. They gave us something to show the world — something to prove we were here, that we mattered, that we're rebuilding."
Documentation Briefs
Community Assessment Reports
We interviewed 6 businesses in-person. Each brief documents a business affected by the Eaton Canyon wildfires — their story, their loss, and their path forward.
Butter Bakery | Altadena
Devonna Banks
Bakery owner whose business served as a neighborhood gathering place before the Eaton Canyon fires disrupted operations and displaced her customer base.
Henry Jones Photography | Altadena
Henry Jones
Photographer and creative professional documenting the community from within — now rebuilding his own practice after the fires impacted his studio and archive.
Octavia's Bookshelf | Altadena
Niki High
Independent bookstore owner preserving Black literary culture and community gathering space in the aftermath of the Eaton Canyon wildfires.
Perry's Joint | Altadena
Parry
Restaurant and community space owner whose establishment served as a cultural anchor for decades before the fires threatened its future.
Beauty Supply | Altadena
Simply Divine Beauty Supply
Beauty supply store serving the Altadena community for years — displaced by the fires and working to restore service to longtime customers.
Yard Bird Fried Chicken | Altadena
Anthony
Restaurant owner whose business was a staple of the community — now navigating recovery and rebuilding after the Eaton Canyon wildfires.
Why This Work Matters
Visibility Is a Recovery Tool
When a business loses everything in a disaster, one of the first things gone is their public presence. Their website. Their social media. Their ability to look professional to customers, lenders, and grant reviewers.
Blacklight's documentation work helps restore that presence. A business owner with a professional photograph and a documented story can apply for recovery grants, reach customers, and maintain credibility in a moment when credibility is everything.
This is not photography. This is community infrastructure.
Full Assessment
View the Recovery Dashboard
Access the complete Altadena Wildfire Community Assessment — including all business briefs, community voices, recovery timelines, and ongoing documentation updates.
View Recovery DashboardCommunity Partners in This Work
Local Organizations Supporting Altadena Recovery
The following community organizations have provided space, resources, and trust that made this documentation work possible.
Ongoing Project
This Work Continues
Altadena Wildfire Documentation is an ongoing community storytelling project. Blacklight Imaging is continuing to document the people, businesses, and neighborhoods impacted by the fires with care, dignity, and historical responsibility.
This page will continue to evolve as more stories, images, interviews, and community reflections are gathered.
Community Documentation
Does Your Community Need Documentation?
If your community has experienced crisis and needs documentation support, contact Blacklight. We show up where the story is.