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AFSCME member loses home to wildfire — and continues to serve

Photo credit: Getty Images
AFSCME member loses home to wildfire — and continues to serve
By Daisha Benjamin, AFSCME District Council 36 ·
AFSCME member loses home to wildfire — and continues to serve
Robert Montanez’ mother’s house goes up in flames. Photo credit: AFSCME District Council 36

 

LOS ANGELES – Robert Montanez embodies what AFSCME members are all about. After his house burned down, the AFSCME member immediately went to work to help his community recover from the recent wildfires.

On Jan. 7, the Eaton fire began in the hills of Altadena and Pasadena. It destroyed at least 4,600 structures, killed 16 people and displaced thousands of people. Among those displaced was Montanez, secretary of AFSCME Local 858 (District Council 36).

As the fire headed towards his Altadena home, Montanez used a water hose to put out embers that fell from the sky. Realizing that he was not going to save his home, he evacuated. But instead of heading to a nearby evacuation center, he headed into work.

Montanez, a maintenance worker for the City of Pasadena, began his day at 5:15 a.m. as if it was any other workday.

“I knew my house was on fire but there was nothing I could do about it,” said Montanez, one of several AFSCME members to lose their homes. “We wanted to make the city safe by clearing driveways and sidewalks, and getting people to places that were giving out donations. It helped me keep my mind off my house.”

Montanez and other members of Local 858 worked for days to clear soot, fallen trees and other debris from fire-ravaged neighborhoods — all while dealing with their own losses.

Photo

AFSCME members help Los Angeles-area communities recover from the wildfires. Photo credit: AFSCME District Council 36

Dealing with disaster isn’t unfamiliar to them. Montanez remembers clearing debris after hurricane-force winds ravaged Pasadena in 2011. He also kept the city  clean and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 

Now, once again, the true spirit of Local 858 members has come to the fore. They’re bringing donations to families that evacuated. They’re checking on each other and helping others find resources and information to recover and rebuild.

“I am a man of faith, and I know that we need to help others when we are all being troubled by natural disasters,” Montanez said. “Seeing the joy in them being helped, it brings me an assurance that my job is being done for good reason.”

As the Eaton and Palisades wildfires continue to burn, AFSCME members like Montanez don’t yet know all that they need to do to help their communities recover. But they’re prepared to get it done no matter what.

“We’re working tirelessly on the front lines to ensure the safety of Pasadena and Altadena residents,” said Pedro Ibarra, president of Local 858. “With the help of city workers and volunteers, we’re focused on cleaning up and restoring our neighborhoods. Pasadena is a vibrant community, and we’re committed to bringing it back to its beautiful, welcoming best.” 

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