Army Corps of Engineers clears final Altadena property after Eaton Fire

CBS News

3 days ago

After seven months, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has cleared the final pieces of debris from the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
The remains of the destroyed home belonged to the late Los Angeles arts icon John Outterbridge. The mixed-media artist, educator and community activist was a pillar of the assemblage arts movement on the West Coast. His work is featured in exhibitions at LACMA and a digital archive at UCLA's Hammer Museum.
"We've been unearthing an LA arts legacy here," daughter Tami Outterbridge said. "That's what we've been doing. We needed every single day, every single minute."
Many of his pieces burned along with the family home.
"It occurred to me I have lost all of my father's archival information, decades worth of history, of his legacy," Outterbridge's daughter said. "That almost bothered me the most."
During a press conference on Thursday, Tami Outterbridge and her mother Beverly Outterbridge announced their effort to rebuild his archives with recovered pieces of his art.
"Being able to find remnants has been so meaningful," Tami Outterbridge said.
The Army Corps of Engineers said they have 1.4 million tons of debris and have cleared over 5,600 private properties in the Eaton Fire footprint.
"Every cleared property represents progress," Lt. Col. David Weart said. "It means one more family can begin to rebuild and a small step towards healing."