Eaton Fire evacuation center at Pasadena Convention Center to close, several still without housing

PASADENA, Calif. - The Red Cross evacuation center at the Pasadena Convention Center, established to temporarily house those displaced by the Eaton Fire, is scheduled to close at the end of the week, with several hundred people still looking for a more permanent housing solution. Both the City of Pasadena and the Red Cross say that they're committed to helping those who haven't found housing yet, and are searching for a new location.

The Eaton Fire started on Jan. 7, along with the Palisades Fire. The recently-contained blaze burned more than 14,000 acres, killed 17 people and destroyed more than 9,000 structures in the Altadena and Pasadena areas.

After the fire started, displacing thousands, the city of Pasadena opened the convention center as an emergency shelter. Days later, the city let the Red Cross take over operations. According to the Red Cross, at its peak, the shelter served 1,100 people. Now, there are just under 300 people left who still have not found housing. 

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While the closure announcement has many concerned about those remaining people being left out to dry. Both the city and the Red Cross, however, say they're dedicated to working with them through the relocation.

"The City remains fully committed to working hand in hand with the Red Cross, as well as local nonprofits and community partners, to provide assistance every step of the way," the city of Pasadena wrote in a statement to FOX 11. "While February 8th was set as the goal for transitioning the shelter at the Convention Center, we want to make it clear that no one will be left behind or shut out."

The Red Cross told FOX 11 that when they took over the shelter, the facility requested it be given back to the city after the first week of February.

Evacuees and other community leaders who protested the move outside the center on Wednesday are not that confident in the city and the Red Cross' ability to find a new location, saying that the shelter has been "chaotic and mismanaged since the City handed operations over to the American Red Cross."

The city of Pasadena told FOX 11 that they were not aware of any issues at the shelter.

Many of the nearly 300 people at the shelter who are still looking for housing, according to the Red Cross, are from Altadena. Because of this, the Red Cross has suggested finding a new location in Altadena, so evacuees can be closer to home, but so far no alternative locations have been pubically proposed.