Their houses burned down but they will return, ready to write Altadena’s next chapter

They met in the 1960s on their first day of ninth grade at John Muir High School in Pasadena.

Both went on to become writers.

They lived near each other in Altadena.

They lost their homes in the Eaton fire last year.

And they sat next to each other Monday night on stage at Vroman’s Books in Pasadena, bound by friendship, history and loss.

Michele Zack and Michelle Huneven I was there to talk about the reissue of Zack’s 2004 book, “Altadena: Between Desert and City,” updated with references to the fire that destroyed a large part of the community and killed 19 people.

“Wilderness and City” is a history book, much of which was discussed about Altadena’s post-Native American path from an agricultural foothill mecca, to a term of western expansion, to a modern LA suburb with a distinct sense of place.

But past really is prequel, so the question hanging over Monday night’s conversation wasn’t about what Altadena was, but what it will be. Altadena is known for its art and a little fun and variety in terms of architecture, but it was celebrated for three things in particular:

Ethnic diversity, socio-economic diversity and limited access.

All three were at risk before the fire, and afterward, with thousands of vacant lots and local businesses supporting life. An audience member noted that at the end of the first edition of Zack’s book, he talked about the uncertainty ahead in a section titled, “Where is it going, Altadena?”

“Will the community retain its artistic features, equestrian buildings, trails, rural feel, and architectural heritage as property values ​​rise and the economic benefits of more density and hillside development tempt builders and political parties?” Zack wrote over 20 years ago.

“I said that in 2004 and today that question is on everyone’s mind,” Zack said Monday night. “How are we going to rebuild? Can we rebuild better? You know, people want it to be the same, but it’s not going to be the same.”

Huneven said she and her husband had recently been talking about which qualities of Altadena were the most important to try to recreate, and which would be the most difficult to recreate.

Zack took this brand and led Altadena’s sense of independence as a quality worth preserving.

“Maybe that ‘life or die’ spirit,” he said of a community that has opted out over the years (it sits just beyond Pasadena’s city limits), and is bound to live with the constant threats of drought, floods, debris flows, earthquakes and wildfires.

However, the intense heat will continue to turn charred vegetation into flames, and the Santa Ana winds will blow their way. Altadena near the base of the San Gabriel Mountainsand each powerful spirit will bear the memory of an unbearable loss. A life-or-die spirit can be difficult to maintain, despite a strong rebirth commitment.

“I believe that more than half of the people … who lost their homes have not decided whether they will rebuild or not,” said a member of the audience, noting that Zack and Huneven are in the other camp, with their new homes still under construction. “So I wanted your little glimpse of hope.”

Huneven, his latest novel, “Bug Hollow,” set in Altadena, is answered first.

“Well, some days it’s like the fire just goes on and on,” Huneven said. “Those days I go down just because there is insurance, there is a loan, there are contractors, there are permits, there are inspections,” he said. “And then some days, you see the house wake up and do something out of nothing … which I think of as art and beauty.”

He said Zack visited their place recently, climbed the stairs of his unfinished house, and looked at the terrace on the roof.

“And you know, looking out of Altadena … it looks like Altadena in the old days. It looks like a rural area with a few houses here and a few houses there and it seemed magical and hopeful,” Huneven said.

“And those views of the mountains we have now, without all the houses in the way,” said Zack.

I had met Zack a few months ago at his burned-out place, where he loved his garden, his yard, and the flow of his 100-year-old Mediterranean revival house. He told me that he briefly wished he didn’t want to rebuild, because it would be easier to start over somewhere else. His heart wouldn’t allow it, however, and as the historian was recruited by the Altadena Historical Society to write a 2004 book, he felt a sense of responsibility to the community.

But he understands why, for many people, doubts remain.

“I think it’s a very difficult decision and you have to be the same, for us, because we are too old to build a house,” said Zack on Monday night. But “I really want to go back to my house … and focus on the community, because we focus on the area.”

Huneven said last year, as the smoke cleared, he and Zack were happy one day about what was lost.

“And I said, ‘Well, you know, we’ll always be friends. We’ve been friends since the first day of high school.’ And Michele said, ‘Well, are we ever going to be neighbors?’ That’s what came to me,” said Huneven.

In the revised foreword to his book, Zack notes that after the fire, he remembered that “it wasn’t the first time that half (or more) of the people of Altadena had left.” It happened in the 1960s and 70s, when “race fear, devaluation” and other factors caused white flight.

Once again, Zack wrote, Altadena’s future will be determined by “who stays, who leaves, and who moves here. What powers will decide who can return to Altadena post fire? Who will control the rebuilding?”

The preface concludes with:

“Let’s work on a road that leads somewhere, in words [former Altadena author Zane Grey]’for the qualities that make life enjoyable.’”

steve.lopez@latimes.com