LOS ANGELES — As Vincent Bugarin stood in a line stretching down a residential block in East Hollywood, his mind was heavy with everything he’d lost.
The Eaton Fire, which tore through Altadena, had claimed his family’s home, along with a pickup truck, bicycles, and sports jerseys that had been passed down to him from his father, who passed away in 2022.
“A lot of people say it’s just stuff,” said Bugarin, 19, now staying with relatives in Glendale. “But it’s more than that. It’s your heart. It’s hard to wrap your head around it.”
But on Wednesday, things felt different. Bugarin was one of about 200 visitors to Altadena Teen Boys Fire Recovery, a six-day donation event that had become a lifeline for boys and their families displaced by the devastating fire.
Inside, after slipping past the red velvet curtains in the lobby, Bugarin joined other young men and their families, navigating through stacks of donated shoes, hoodies, and sunglasses, many still wrapped in shrink-wrap. Full-sized bottles of face wash, shampoo, and shaving supplies lined the bar.
Out back, large TVs played football games, while tables were scattered with comic books, board games, toys, and fresh footballs and basketballs. For many, the standout feature was a station where volunteers were assembling custom skateboards, donated by the streetwear brand Golf Wang.
Immanuel Shorter, 18, a student at Pasadena City College, was one of the event’s organizers. After volunteering at a donation drive for girls, he teamed up with others to create a similar one for boys.
Though Shorter’s home had survived the fire, many of his friends in Altadena, including Bugarin, whom he knew from John Muir High School, weren’t as fortunate. Shorter hoped to help them replace lost belongings, but also wanted to provide a space for them to come together and unwind after the trauma of the fires.
“It’s been tough to have a normal conversation with people,” Shorter said, snapping photos as he moved around. “You’re still human, and you just want to be treated like one. You don’t want to feel like a lost puppy all the time.”
The drive was held at Chain House, an event space linked to a trendy concept restaurant that’s typically booked out and draws celebrities and influencers. But for nearly a week, it was exclusively open to families with a driver’s license or school ID proving they lived or went to school in Altadena or Pasadena.
Bugarin first visited for supplies on Saturday, then came back on Wednesday for a haircut. Once it was done, he stood up from the director’s chair and checked himself out in the mirror. After thanking the barber who trimmed the back and sides, he gave Shorter a dap.
Meanwhile, Bugarin’s 15-year-old cousin was eagerly waiting to meet Travis Barker, the Blink-182 drummer and record producer.
Barker had dropped by to visit Grayson Roberts, a 10-year-old from Altadena who is blind and lost his instruments, Braille books, and Legos in the fire. Barker took the time to teach Grayson how to twirl drumsticks and gifted him a drum pad.
Elsewhere, Grayson’s older brother, Gavin, was picking up styling tips from the barber who had just finished cutting his hair.
“Having another guy to talk to is pretty cool,” said Gavin, 16. “It’s enjoyable. You get to express your feelings. It’s nice to have the right people in your life to keep you grounded.”
The unprecedented wildfires forced thousands of families to flee their homes, seeking temporary shelter with little more than the clothes on their backs, as entire communities across Los Angeles County were reduced to rubble.
The Eaton Fire, which scorched over 14,000 acres and destroyed more than 9,400 structures, wreaked havoc on Altadena, a middle-class town nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains on the northeast side of the county. Known for its diversity and relatively low poverty rate, Altadena was hit hard by the flames.
Though the Eaton Fire is mostly contained, many residents whose homes survived still can’t return due to ongoing evacuation orders. Meanwhile, across Los Angeles, authorities are advising people to wear face masks to protect against toxins in the air from the fires, as new blazes erupted earlier this week.
In the aftermath of the devastation, numerous donation drives sprang up around Los Angeles, organized by nonprofits, companies, and community activists.
Shorter was drawn to the idea of a drive specifically for boys, especially because he worried many would hesitate to take what they needed, putting their mother or younger siblings’ needs ahead of their own.
“When something like this happens, boys my age feel the pressure to be strong for their family,” Shorter explained.
Each day, new businesses stepped up to help. Monty’s Good Burger, a local plant-based fast food chain, parked a food truck outside on the final day. Levi’s offered custom chain stitching on jackets, and volunteers handed out cases of canned cold-brew coffee to shoppers as they left.
In the last hour of shopping on Wednesday afternoon, Grant Babbitt, 40, watched through his sunglasses as his oldest son, Avary, 11, received an impromptu skating lesson from the woman who had assembled their custom skateboards. Grant hoped this experience would stay with his son longer than the fear of the evacuation two weeks earlier, or the uncertainty of where they would go next.
“The hardest part has been the father role,” Babbitt said. “My job is to protect and provide for my family, so I feel like I did my part by getting them out of there. But now, figuring out the next step is a huge challenge. It’s a tough spot to be in, and I’ve talked to a lot of other dads who feel the same way.”
For Bugarin, staying strong for his mother and sister is fueled by the memory of his own father.
“Thinking about my dad is what really keeps me going,” he said. “I know he wouldn’t want me to just give up.”
