Youth Resilience Amidst Wildfire Devastation: Navigating Air Quality, Community Rebuilding, and Mental Health

In the wake of devastating wildfires that ravaged parts of los Angeles, including Pacific Palisades, South Los Angeles, Sylmar, Altadena, and Pasadena, Los Angeles Mayor Karen bass convened a private meeting with young people directly affected. The event, titled “Lift Every Voice—Youth Speak Out on Impact of Wildfires,” provided a crucial platform for these young residents to share their experiences and concerns with the mayor and each other.

Held at the LA 84 Foundation, the meeting featured roundtable discussions where youth openly discussed the fires’ impact on their lives. Each table selected a representative to summarize key issues and present questions to Mayor Bass. Air quality and community rebuilding emerged as central themes.

Mayor Bass acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “Thank you for the chance to speak with you and hear from you and learn about your concerns,” demonstrating her commitment to direct engagement with those affected.

addressing air quality, a critical concern, Mayor Bass explained the challenges: “It’s a tough question in terms of restoring the air quality,” she said. “The county health department is monitoring and the AQMD, the Air Quality Management Department.” She elaborated on the lingering effects of hazardous materials, stating, “The air quality is going to be bad for a while especially in this period with the hazardous materials being moved. In that movement, that’s going to affect the air quality and it’s going to take a while for that to clear. And than,of course,we just went through the rains,and so,what that did is that took all the hazardous material and packed it down into the water. It’s going to be a while before the air gets better.” She urged residents to “wear an air filter” when entering affected areas, noting that the Red Cross was providing them.

The complexities of rebuilding communities where also highlighted.Mayor Bass acknowledged the lengthy process, stating, “Building in this city and frankly, in any other city, takes a really long time. I see it as my job to do whatever I can to make it as easy and fast as possible.”

Student perspectives were crucial to the event’s success. Amari Johnson, a student at Palisades Charter High School, expressed her thankfulness for the direct engagement, stating, “I felt like it was very useful,” she said. “I felt like it was really nice to share our concerns and to share how we felt and get actual feedback in person versus just an email. It’s nice being able to be face-to-face, seeing peers I know, all showing concern, it’s really nice to know that we all care about what’s happening.”

Mason Maddox, a St. Francis High School student displaced by the Eaton wildfires, emphasized the event’s importance as “a good chance for people who were affected to get together and share with someone in power and especially just making them aware of, not only the needs of the community, but their needs as well.” His family’s experience of seeking refuge in an Airbnb underscored the widespread displacement caused by the fires.

Zaire Calvin, an Altadena resident and coach who lost two homes and his sister in the Eaton wildfire, highlighted the event’s focus on mental health, stating, “It was a good event,” he said. “Having the kids to be able to express themselves about mental health, I think is the most crucial part and having her [mayor Bass] to come out and speak to the youth and have them ask questions and answer questions, keep it kind of private for them, I think is a good thing.”

Mayor Bass recognized the profound impact of these events on the youth, stating, “When I think about the young people that are here—just a few years ago, they went through COVID, when they were in middle school and here, they are again, out of school because of another tragedy,” and further emphasizing the importance of community, “It was astounding to be here with a group of young people, listening to them, how this tragedy impacted them and it was an opportunity for me to learn and to say to them, we have to do whatever we can to maintain a sense of community.” She also acknowledged the grieving process, stating, “It’s like a grieving process,” she said, “to lose your home, school, facilities, it is indeed a loss.It’s not just the loss of property but it’s a loss of history,relationships,community,a sense of belonging and as a city going through grieving,and I’m sure,you’re all aware of the different stages of grief—denial,anger,all that happens with that and we’re going through it together. I just wanted you to know that I am very, very sorry for what you’ve gone through. As the Mayor of the city, to grieve with everybody and to have gone through it personally as well because it impacted my family also. How do we move on? How do we go through this process together and build our lives and most importantly, get back to school, your homes, neighborhoods and your communities? My focus is making that happen.”

The event, specifically designed for youth aged 12-24, was co-sponsored by several organizations, including the LA 84 Foundation, whose President and CEO, Renata Simril, highlighted the importance of youth voice and support in recovery. Fran Jemmott, an LA84 foundation organizer, emphasized the long-term implications, stating, “These are going to be voters in 2 and 4 years, they’re going to be called on to make choices, decisions and they need to have the confidence to have a voice and to speak up—speak truth to power.”