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After losing his home and sister in the Eaton Fire, the beloved high school football coach and third-generation Altadena resident urged his community to support each other, fight for all they have, and most importantly, come together. I am asking you to do so.
Zaire Calvin was one of the thousands of residents who were instantly forced to evacuate when the Eaton Fire broke out. His sister, Evelyn McClendon, 59, was one of at least 16 people killed in the blaze.
“I don’t even know how to talk about it,” Calvin told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “She couldn’t get out.”
In an interview with CNN, Calvin said the last time he saw McClendon was when he was packing up his belongings to evacuate his home.
On the night of January 7, as Calvin rushed to his car with his 1-year-old daughter in his arms, he repeatedly yelled for McClendon, who lives next door, to come out.
“That part plays over and over in my head like a bad nightmare,” Calvin said. “I’m trying to understand what she was thinking and why she didn’t or didn’t do that.”
Fearing for his family’s lives, Calvin evacuated with his wife, mother, and daughter, desperately hoping that his sister would be evacuated. Calvin told CNN he remembers seeing McClendon’s car still parked in front of the house.
CNN reported that when Calvin returned home to see the rubble of his home and his family’s adjoining home, he saw his sister’s car still in front of the house. His cousin reportedly discovered McClendon’s body while digging through rubble in what was once her bedroom.
“It was hard to process all this. I cried every day,” Calvin told KTLA. “I just want to go home.”
Eaton fire victim dies while holding hose while protecting home
Calvin said the community played an important role in making him feel supported while he tried to cope with the tragic loss of his sister.
“Thanks to the grace of God and the support of our families and all those who have experienced these tragedies, we have come out in droves to support each other,” Calvin said. “And it was a blessing to the Oaks Christian family, who have been so generous.”
Going forward, Calvin said he hopes his community, many of whom are multigenerational homeowners, will rebuild and continue to call Altadena home for generations to come.
“Please protect my home, my Altadena community, fight for everything, unless we unite and sell,” Calvin said. “God will make a way.”
Calvin asked those who want to help him to send generous donations to his nonprofit linked here.
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