The diversity of small businesses in Altadena seeks to rebuild after the mortal fires of the

When Los Angeles forest fires swept away southern California in January, Barbara Shay lost much more than the building sheltering the coffee it had.

No more menu ingredients like grain or pancakes. No more photos of icons ranging from former president Barack Obama to actor Richard Pryor who had bordered the walls. Also finished the decades of work from Shay’s family.

“I’m still in shock,” said Shay in an interview with CNBC. “It is an emotional mountain – not only for me, but just for everyone.”

Shay is part of the diversified fabric of owners of small businesses in Altadena, a city about 15 miles outside the city center of the which was touched by last month’s fire. While the community begins the process of reconstruction of years, entrepreneurs like Shay are starting to trace their way.

It plans to rebuild the 70 -year -old Little Red Hen coffee and assesses finances to open a temporary showcase or popups. The company extends over generations: after having followed the traces of her mother and brother in the possession of the company, she now works alongside her daughter and grandson.

But while many members of the Altadena entrepreneurial community remain optimistic about a takeover, several business owners have described long and difficult roads to come.

Some companies have been fully burned on the ground like those of Shay, while others face a long -term trip due to damage or smoke. For those who are fortunate to have properties of brick and mortar still standing, they are surrounded by what some have described in interviews like “Ground Zero”.

“It’s a bit unfathomable,” said Henri Wood, who had a cannabis company called the Florish group, which was burned. “What was once just a vibrant and lively community has simply disappeared.”

Altadena has historically been known as a hub For families and black companies, after having been one of the only areas of the County Los Angeles exempt from red during the civil rights movement. The Associated Press noted that the property rate for blacks in Altadena is above 80%which is almost double the national average.

But the owners of Altadena companies – many of whom have also grown up and who lift families there – fear that fires will leave this diversity in the rubble. Emeka Chukwurah, founder of the rhythms of the center of community culture in the village, said that he was concerned that fires accelerate the gentrification that was already taking place in the neighborhood.

Black residents explained Over 40% of the city’s population in 1980, according to Altadena Heritage. This proportion has been more than divided by two since then. Chukwurah sold Altadena brand goods to prevent the community and its diversity from being forgotten by a broader society.

“I hope we can keep the developers and these kinds of people from a distance so that we can keep what was built during the generations,” said Chukwurah. “I hope it will be in history books as a resilient community, and that a large number of us – or, if not, we can all stay to tell the story.”

The Maricela Viramontes insurance agent saw how the city owners of the San Gabriel mountains respond first. Many are used to fires due to its geographical location, she said, but they did not expect the destruction observed in January. Mortal fires cause According to an accuweather estimate of more than $ 250 billion in economic damage and losses.

Viramontes, who has lived in Altadena for almost 25 years, woke up in the morning after fires in a refuge, because it was the only place where his family could evacuate. By early this morning, she began to receive calls while being at the refuge of customers looking for advice on the filing of lost property complaints.

It is the same paperwork that she also fills. Shortly after this day, taking calls in the refuge, Viramontes learned that his house and car were both destroyed. His office needs repairs for smoke damage.

“Everyone asks:” What can I do? “How can I help you?” “Said Viramontes, who now lives and works in the house of his parents nearby.” It is so difficult to answer this question when you don’t know. “

While companies are starting to write plans to erase their land and build new structures, they make plans so that the joy of reaching both ends in the short term.

Wood’s cannabis store, for example, connected customers directly with suppliers while determining a long -term strategy. He called donations and mutual assistance a “rescue buoy” for the company, which, according to him, is excluded from several government aid programs because marijuana is not federal.