Rep. Chu takes colleagues on a tour of the destruction of the Eaton fire in California
Members of Congress from California toured the ruins on Saturday in Altadena and North Pasadena caused by the still raging fire at Eaton.
Rep. Judy Chu, whose congressional district includes the communities most affected by the Eaton fire Los Angeles County, led members of Congress from California on a tour of destroyed neighborhoods and streets.
The Eaton Fire has spread to more than 14,100 acres and is 15% contained, Cal Fire reported Saturday night. About 7,000 buildings were burned.
The charred shell of the Altadena Community Church in Altadena, California, after a wildfire ravaged it. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
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“I was very grateful to my colleagues in Congress from California who were able to shake it all off and show Los Angeles County and the entire nation that we as Californians have each other’s backs,” Chu wrote in a statement released after the tour.
The Pasadena Police Department and the city Pasadena officials spoke to members about ongoing fire suppression and disaster relief efforts.
The charred shell of the Altadena Community Church in Altadena, Calif., after it was ravaged by the Eaton fire this week. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
“Pasadena officials have conveyed to my colleagues how difficult the rebuilding process will be and the tremendous support they need from the federal government to be successful,” Chu wrote. “They also emphasized how many black families, who found refuge from segregation and redlining in Altadena and parts of Pasadena, lost all the generational wealth they had successfully built. My colleagues then witnessed streets, neighborhoods and community institutions completely razed to the ground. .”
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Damage assessments i economic loss rose to $135 billion on Thursday, according to AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact.
Chu said she looks forward to working with her colleagues to secure the disaster relief funds necessary for recovery and rebuilding.
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She added that she would advocate for the law “to prevent such disasters from happening again.”
The charred shell of the Altadena Community Church in Altadena, California, after a wildfire ravaged it. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
“At all levels of government, partnership is absolutely necessary to successfully respond to natural disasters and provide immediate and long-term relief to those who have lost loved ones or returned to their homes or workplaces to find nothing left,” Chu wrote. “Victims of the wildfires in Southern California will rely on Congress to pass—on a bipartisan basis—authorized emergency disaster funds to support a long recovery. … We have a long road ahead, but like anywhere else in America, Californians deserve help after disasters that will give us the possibility of rebuilding.”
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Members of Congress in attendance included: House Democratic Chairman Pete Aguilar (CA-33); House Financial Services Representative Maxine Waters (CA-43); Tail. Linda Sanchez (CA-38); Tail. Norma Torres (CA-35); Tail. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34); Tail. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37); and the tail. Luz Rivas (CA-29).
