Reviving Fairoaks Burger after the Eaton Fire

On January 7th, despite widespread power outages caused by high winds affecting Altadena, my family’s burger establishment, Fairoaks Burger, remained open for business. However, shortly before 6:15 pm, sirens began racing past, signaling the imminent loss of power. By 6:50 pm, we were forced to close the restaurant promptly. My sister promptly drove to my parents’ residence, less than half a mile away, and successfully convinced them to evacuate to my brother’s house in Glendale.

Given that my house, situated behind my parents’ residence, was also without power, I relocated to my boyfriend’s Altadena residence. Together with our three dogs, we evacuated at 1 am. The following morning, we received heartbreaking news that the front house had been completely destroyed, leading us to assume the complete loss of our property.

Throughout the day, we received videos from friends and customers depicting the burning buildings surrounding the restaurant. The emotional toll of losing both our houses and our family business was overwhelming.

By Thursday, we were finally able to enter the affected area and discovered that the house had indeed been completely destroyed. However, we also observed the remnants of a structure at the top of the site. Remarkably, the back house had miraculously survived the catastrophic fires fueled by winds exceeding 100 miles per hour. My house and one other remaining structure are the sole survivors on the entire street.

As we made our way towards the restaurant, we were met with a scene of devastation. Every structure we encountered was engulfed in flames and emitting smoke. Numerous conflicting accounts circulated online regarding the fate of Fairoaks Burger, leaving us uncertain of what to expect. Incredibly, from a distance, we could discern the distinctive red and white striping of the restaurant’s roof. 

On Friday, a national state of emergency was declared, necessitating mandatory evacuations enforced by the national guard. On January 19th, we were permitted access to the restaurant, where we collected and disposed of all rotting food from a large walk-in cooler, two prep fridges, three chest freezers, and a walk-in freezer. Over 100 large industrial trash bags were transported to the dump. The entire restaurant was covered in soot and ash, including grills, appliances, the HVAC system, swamp cooler, and exhaust fan on the roof. The storage room has been inundated with chemical-filled ash since the fire.

Fairoaks Burger remains closed due to the absence of a clean water supply, electricity, gas, and internet. The restaurant has yet to undergo any remediation to thoroughly clean the interior and replace compromised equipment. Altadena is served by three independently owned water companies, all of which have sustained damage to their equipment and infrastructure. These companies continue to report compromised water with detected levels of benzene and have not provided a timeline for a restoration of clean water. Even if we were able to resume serving food, the entire neighborhood has been displaced, resulting in the loss of our entire customer base.

Despite the numerous challenges we face, I remain resolutely optimistic that we will persevere, survive, and thrive in the future. The unwavering support from our community has been the foundation that sustains us on this uncertain path. We are AltadenaStrong, and we will rebuild and restore our beloved city.

https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2025/02/10/fair-oaks-burger-was-a-place-to-come-for-food-stay-for-friends-then-it-survived-the-eaton-fire/