Capital B

Reduced to Ash: The Eaton Fire’s Impact on Black Families

Adam Mahoney

In a four-part series for Capital B, Adam Mahoney chronicles the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, which devastated a historically Black neighborhood in Altadena, California, in January 2025. Mahoney’s reporting also examines how systemic failures — “decades of segregation, redlining, and underinvestment” — contribute to disproportionate vulnerability and displacement of Black families amid climate hazards. 

Mahoney’s coverage helped garner donations for wildfire victims and drove subscriptions and giving for Capital B, which will help them continue to cover this community. 

“In clear, beautiful writing, Mahoney is doing the difficult and necessary work of connecting the dots between climate change, racism, the housing crisis, and healthcare failures — all for a disaster that was still unfolding as he reported,” one judge said. “It’s incredible to read, as well as a huge gift to the community experiencing this trauma firsthand.”

Read the Winning Work

Generational Black Homes in LA Reduced to Ash Amid Growing Wildfires

Why Were Black Altadena Residents Not Warned to Evacuate in Time?

In Altadena, Black Households Were Most Likely to Burn, Study Finds

After a Wildfire Takes Your Home, How Do You Get Your ‘Soul’ Back?