February 17, 2026
Eaton and Palisades Fire Refugees Moved Near and Far — and Often
This milestone belongs to survivors—and to everyone who has stood beside them. One year after the wildfires, CCF’s new digital One-Year Wildfire Impact Report reflects on how far families have come and how much road remains ahead.
CNN en Español featured the “Rising Together” float as a space of healing for Spanish-speaking wildfire survivors, including Altadena resident Rubén Rodríguez, who described losing his home alongside every neighbor on his street. Miguel Santana explained the float’s deeper purpose: “From the stories of survivors, they felt it was important to do something symbolically to recognize this actually happened and so many lives were impacted.”
NPR covered the “Rising Together” float on parade day, featuring Miguel Santana’s reflection on the emotional toll survivors continue to face a year later. “People are really starting to feel a real mental breakdown,” Santana said, describing struggles with a failing insurance system and inadequate federal disaster relief. He hoped the float would offer a moment of healing: “We’re hoping that, even for just one day, when they see that float going down a street that they’re all familiar with, that they know that the world does care about them, that they’re not alone in their journey of grief.”
On this New Year’s Day, many families are beginning the year carrying deep loss. The wildfires took loved ones, homes and a sense of normalcy—but they also revealed something powerful: a community that showed up with compassion, generosity and resolve. You were part of that response, and I am deeply grateful.
When wildfires swept through Altadena, Pasadena, the Palisades and Malibu, nearly 13,000 households lost their homes. The devastation was rapid, and we at CCF knew we needed to respond swiftly, and people throughout Los Angeles, the nation and even other countries stepped up immediately.
In the toughest times, Angelenos stood together. The past year reminded us what it truly means to be Angelenos. When the wildfires swept through Altadena, Pasadena, the Palisades and Malibu, nearly 13,000 households lost their homes. Yet, amid devastation, something extraordinary happened – people came together.
Miguel A. Santana reflected on the deeper meaning of the “Rising Together” float for Latino families in Pasadena and Altadena for whom the Rose Parade holds special significance. “This float is about community—people who didn’t know each other before, now crying, remembering, healing together,” he said. “It’s a space to grieve, to build, and to show the world our strength.” The article also highlighted survivor Ruben Rodriguez, who lost his home of over 30 years in the fires and called his selection to ride on the float “a great blessing.”
Good Day LA took viewers inside the float barn for a closer look at “Rising Together,” with Artistic Entertainment Services president Stefan Pollack walking through the float’s intricate symbolism, from the floral waves representing Palisades and Malibu communities, to California poppies, butterflies, acorns, and 31 sunflowers honoring those who perished. “It does take a community,” Pollack said. “The theme of the parade is magic in teamwork—this is teamwork, bringing back these communities to the vibrant communities that they were.”
A behind-the-scenes look at CCF’s “Rising Together” Rose Parade float featured perspectives from CCF Board Chair David Newman and Chief of Policy and Programs Cielo Castro, who emphasized that the float was designed as a reminder that recovery is far from over. “We didn’t want people to forget that a year later people are still suffering,” Castro said, noting that rebuilding entire communities can take a decade or more, which is why long-term philanthropic commitment remains critical.
A Los Angeles Times photo essay capturing the volunteer spirit behind the Rose Parade featured the “Rising Together” float, co-sponsored by California Community Foundation, as volunteers—including wildfire survivors who lost their homes—worked side by side to bring the float to life ahead of January 1.
A KTLA 5 segment on “Rising Together” interviewed CCF President and CEO Miguel Santana, Tournament of Roses President Mark Leavens, and Eaton Fire survivors Jacque Robinson-Baisley and Gina Clayton-Johnson. Robinson-Baisley looked ahead with cautious optimism: “I’m grateful and I’m looking forward to having those few moments of joy, because this has been a less joyous year.” Clayton-Johnson spoke to the float’s deeper meaning: “What is the strongest and most important thing in those moments is community. I get to ride on it with other fire survivors who have been my community and the reason why I’m able to get up every morning.”
KTLA 5 brought cameras inside the float barn for a morning news segment on “Rising Together,” giving Southern California TV audiences an up-close look at the float taking shape ahead of January 1. Palisades Fire survivor Myra Burg, who lost her Malibu home, captured the emotional weight of the moment: “There are days I wake up and I need to do a mental pull-up from the depression. We still have to keep moving forward.”