Altadena single mom and family crammed into hotel room after being displaced by Eaton Fire
Family displaced from Eaton Fire
A single mother and her family are now living in a hotel after their home got contaminated from the Eaton Fire.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - The wildfires in Los Angeles County haven't just displaced people whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged. Others are unable to return home due to the contamination from the flames and smoke.
For one family, six people are crammed into one hotel room.
"It's been hard," said Deborah Clark, of Altadena.
It's the reality for Clark, a single mom, three of her four children, and her parents who are on their in their 80s.
"Well, it's really, really crowded," said Clark's father, David Ure.
They've been living in a Pasadena hotel ever since the Eaton Fire tore down their block on Midwick Drive in Altadena three weeks ago.
"I was at the laundromat. We heard that there was a fire. I raced up," recalled Clark.
Multiple homes just a few doors down burned to the ground and several others sustained property damage. While their home is still standing, Clark says her insurance adjusters told her they couldn't live there, at least for now, due to contamination from the smoke and fire just feet away.
"It has a heavy smoke smell," said Clark. "We have not been able to go back due to possible hazardous chemicals in the house."
Further tests are planned, Clark says, with insurance claims still being processed.
"We don't know the level and the severity of it," said Clark.
Contamination in the wake of the fires has been a very real concern. Hazmat crews from the EPA are in the process of inspecting nearly 7,000 properties affected by the Eaton Fire throughout Altadena and removing any hazardous materials.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Crews removing dangerous debris left by Eaton Fire
"Right now the adjusters are trying to see what needs to be done in terms of possibly cleaning it. They say it could take four to six months," said Clark.
On top of all this, Clark says she lost her job a couple of days before the fire, but the kindness and generosity others have shown has kept her hopeful.
"It really shows that the community genuinely cares for other people," said Clark.
While it's unclear when they'll be able to go home, Clark and her family say they're counting their blessings.
"We're alive, we're healthy, and the house is still standing. So we have all that," said Ure.
"We're all living through this. It's something we didn't expect. And I'm just hopeful that we'll all be able to move on," said Clark.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family. Those who want to help the Clark family can click here.