Schools in fire-ravaged Pasadena (California) district will reopen in phases

Schools in the Pasadena (California) Unified School District will be reopened in phases over two weeks in the aftermath of the deadly Eaton Fire.

NBC Los Angeles reports that five campuses were severely damaged by the wildfire northeast of Los Angeles. Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School, Franklin Elementary, which closed in 2020, and three charter schools -- Edison, Loma Alta and Noyes -- were all damaged in the 14,100-acre wildfire that started Jan. 7 near Altadena.

More than 10,000 of the district's 14,000 students were evacuated from homes in the days that followed. Nearly 1,400 district employees live within evacuation zones, some of whom lost their homes.

District officials say schools farther from the fire zone will reopen first.

"We will reopen, we will rebuild, and we will rise," Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said. "Despite the challenges we face, our commitment to our students and families remains unwavering."

Teams have been clearing debris and sanitIzing properties since the fire burned through the area near Altadena. About 10 tons of debrIs have been removed from campuses, the district said.

The campuses will reopen only after testing by the California Office of Emergency Services. Six sites are expected to reopen in the next week.

All students are projected to return to campus by early February.