Podcast Summary: All Of It — “A New Film Examines the Aftermath of The Eaton Fire”
Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guests: Andi Timiner (filmmaker), Heavenly Hughes (community leader, founder of My Tribe Rise)
Film Discussed: All the Walls Came Down

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, which devastated Altadena, a historically Black neighborhood in Southern California, destroying over 900 structures and displacing thousands, with 19 lives lost. Host Alison Stewart speaks with filmmaker Andi Timiner, who lost her home in the fire and made the documentary All the Walls Came Down, and with activist Heavenly Hughes, who leads support efforts for survivors. The discussion highlights the trauma of loss, the unique fabric of Altadena, challenges of rebuilding, threats of predatory development, and the fight to preserve generational wealth and community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Character of Altadena and Its Community

• Andi Timiner’s Move and Experience

  • Lived in Altadena for 15 years, raised her son there—described as “magical, heavenly” (03:11).
  • Neighborhood diversity, musical culture, wildlife.

    ”There was a soul band around the corner that would rehearse every day ... Peacocks would fly over ... A wild bear just come into my swimming pool and take a bath one day.” — Andi Timiner (03:49)

• Heavenly Hughes’ Lifelong Roots

  • 50 years in Altadena; describes “a very close-knit community” where neighbors care for one another and children were “cared for by our neighbors” (04:35).

The Day of the Fire and Immediate Aftermath

• Andi’s Ordeal Abroad

  • In Europe filming a Holocaust movie during the fire, received news by text, couldn’t get clear information due to lack of first responders/evacuation orders (05:25).

    “It never ever said that our house burned down even two days after I got that text message from my neighbor Randy ...because there were no first responders there and there were no evacuation orders and there was no support.” — Andi Timiner (05:25)

• Community Response & My Tribe Rise

  • Hughes immediately started coordinating support, calling elders, and organizing responses (07:00).

• Processing Loss

  • Andi finished her filming commitment despite traumatic loss, with support from New York friends (07:59).

Grieving, Memory, and Material Loss

• Emotional Impact
  • Alison plays a clip of Andi’s emotional return, noting the pain of losing personal mementos (10:27).
  • Andi’s sister (Rabbi Rachel Timiner) helps her see how material objects reflect values and spiritual connection (12:08).

    “Anybody who says the spiritual and the material are not connected ... is wrong.” — Rabbi Rachel Timiner, via Andi Timiner (13:50)

  • Shifted perspective: “It really is human connection and love that is most important ... and that the fire didn't take from us.” — Andi Timiner (14:08)

Threats to Community & Generational Wealth

• Predatory Development and Displacement

  • Slogan “Altadena is not for sale” emerges to resist opportunistic developers (15:08).

    “We are not going to allow for this fire, the vultures, like developers, to come and snatch our property away from us and force us out.” — Heavenly Hughes (15:15)

• Challenges Rebuilding: Insurance, Representation, and Redlining

  • Many Black homeowners lack insurance due to outright ownership; rebuilding is financially impossible for many (19:58).

    “Many of the black homeowners ... owned their homes, so they did not have insurance. ... How do you replace that? ... That has all been lost.” — Heavenly Hughes (19:58)

• Government Response:

  • Altadena is unincorporated; only has a single county supervisor, Katherine Barger, who was unresponsive post-fire (16:42).
  • Barger’s recent statements promise moral responsibility and reducing red tape, but Hughes critiques insensitivity, especially with new park celebrations amid catastrophe (18:35).

    “We have to be culturally sensitive, we have to be sensitive to what survivors are experiencing. … There also needs to be an investigation around how they left us out there without support.” — Heavenly Hughes (18:35, 24:09)

The Fight for Justice and the Future

• Southern California Edison’s Responsibility

  • Utility accepted responsibility for the fire. The community calls for immediate financial relief to prevent foreclosures (20:52, 25:03).

    “We are trying very hard with a petition to stop the foreclosures, put a moratorium ... until the power company pays, because they've accepted responsibility for it.” — Andi Timiner (21:47)

• A Looming Second Disaster

  • 61% of families who lost homes “are facing a loss of housing in the next two months if we don't act now” (23:07).

• Maintaining Community Ownership

  • Hughes urges families to buy/sell within the community, preserve Black and Brown ownership (16:01).

• Urgent Calls to Action

  • Sign the petition at allthewallscamedown.com, write letters to officials, contribute to bridge funding—families are paying both rent and mortgage (24:09).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Loss:

  “The thing that I'm saddest about is losing my son's cards to me. He would draw the highlights of our life together every year. ... Those are the things that I really am emotional about, even now.” — Andi Timiner (11:03)

• On Rebuilding Together:

  “When the walls came down after this disaster, it became an even closer community. ... Everybody had to kind of carry each other through flames to get out and to save each other's pets.” — Andi Timiner (06:34)

• Community Resilience:

  “This is a community that we have built. We are not going to allow for this fire, the vultures, like developers, to come and snatch our property away from us and force us out.” — Heavenly Hughes (15:15)

• On Generational Wealth:

  “80% of black and brown families own their own homes. This is something that has been lost in a flash, and it cannot. We cannot let it happen ... in Altadena.” — Andi Timiner (21:23)

• Hope and Healing:

  “It really is human connection and love that is most important ... and that the fire didn't take from us.” — Andi Timiner (14:08)

Important Timestamps

• Origins & Character of Altadena: 03:11–05:10
• Experiences During the Fire, Community Response: 05:25–07:56
• Personal Loss and Grieving: 10:27–14:16
• “Altadena is Not for Sale” Discussion: 15:08–16:32
• Government Response & Critique: 16:42–18:35
• Generational Wealth Loss: 19:55–20:33
• Current Urgency, Power Company Responsibility: 20:52–23:07
• Calls to Action and Ways to Help: 24:09–25:32

How Listeners Can Help

• Sign the petition: allthewallscamedown.com
• Contact officials: Write to Supervisor Barger, Governor Newsom, Attorney General
• Provide financial support for bridge funding to prevent foreclosures (24:09)

Tone & Takeaway

The episode is heartfelt, urgent, and deeply personal. Andi and Heavenly share both grief and hope, illuminating the ongoing fight not just to rebuild physical homes but to preserve a unique culture, empower a historically Black community, and demand justice and accountability for lasting resilience. Cheered on by Stewart, their insistence that “Altadena is not for sale” is both a rallying cry and a reminder of the power of community in the face of disaster.

For further engagement: The film “All the Walls Came Down” is available at LA Times Short Docs and screening in New York on Monday, January 12, at the Roxy Cinema. For more, visit allthewallscamedown.com.