Pierre Dupuy greeted Los Angeles County Supervisor Catherine Barger in front of the Altadena Sheriff's Station on Saturday morning and then collapsed in her arms.

"Thank you so much," the 65-year-old, who has lived in Altadena his entire life, told Barger through sobs. "It's so cruel, so cruel."

He and his brother both lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, which devastated their community and parts of nearby Pasadena, burning more than 14,000 acres, killing at least 11 people and thousands of structures damaged.

In front of us, a giant shopping mall sign bent at a 45-degree angle. The Sheriff's Station behind us had no water or electricity. The buildings on the east and west sides of Altadena Avenue are intact, and the places next to them look like pictures from the bombing of Dresden.

Badger hugged Dupuy tightly. The two have known each other for more than 30 years. "I know," she told him. "I know."

This isn't the first time she's comforted constituents after major wildfires. Since joining the Board of Supervisors in 2016, Barger's district has experienced 10 fires larger than 5,000 acres, including the largest wildfire and Lake Fire in Los Angeles County in the past decade. This time it hit her differently. The San Marino native remembers visiting Eaton Canyon Nature Center as a Girl Scout and filming ads for her first political campaign at Charles Farnsworth Park.

The nature center was destroyed. The New Deal-era recreation center near the park's historic amphitheater was razed. Many of her friends lost their homes. Staff had to evacuate.

“I never thought about how I would do what I did in a moment like this,” Barger said as we began walking down Lake Avenue. "I haven't counted how many. Things like this happen all the time and you have to stay focused."

She adjusted her sunglasses to match her pearl earrings and necklace. “Everyone I met when I came here lost their home. Everybody. everyone".

In December, Barger became chairman of the board for a second time. The first time was at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I think God is testing me," she joked. "It's a challenge, but not insurmountable."

I asked Bug to show me around Altadena. We were accompanied by Dupuy, two of Barger's staff, and Natalia Molina, a professor at the University of Southern California and a MacArthur Genius grantee who lives in Pasadena, about 10 miles south of the Sheriff's Station. One mile.

Nineteen members of the Altadena Coliseum in Molina lost their homes. She told Bug she was ready to help in any way.

"I'm bilingual, I can write, I can give presentations," she said. The supervisor nodded and asked the staff to take down the paper. teacherinformation.

"Good," Bugg replied, "because we need help now."

Dupuy takes us to Mariposa Avenue, nicknamed "Millionaire's Row" for its massive mansions, including his childhood home originally built for map publishing magnate Andrew McNally. Now only chimneys, brick walls and blackened trees remain.

“Government at all levels needs to help people rebuild quickly,” Barger said. Fire trucks from Watsonville, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa and Oxnard were idle nearby. Firefighters sped past us on ATVs.

"I'm trying to stay away from the whole political thing, but FEMA has been falling apart for a while," she said. "Who benefits from fighting each other during a crisis? You have to lead."

A group of black SUVs drove past and then suddenly stopped. State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas appeared, along with nearly every member of the Los Angeles County Council. They greeted Bugs like she was a rock star.

"I appreciate your leadership," Rivas told the supervisor.

“If you need anything, I can help you, my friend,” said newly elected East Ward Councilman Mark Gonzalez.

Another newly elected council member, Sade Elhawary, who represents South Los Angeles and whose sister lost her home in the Eaton Fire, told me she wanted to help Barger ensure Altadena's black population Communities will not be pushed out in redevelopment efforts.

"The trauma in the community here is heightened," Elhawari said.

The last person to greet Barger was John Harabedian, also a freshman representing Altadena who ran unsuccessfully against Barger in 2020.

"She's incredible," he said, as other lawmakers nodded. "I don't think the community needs a better leader. You can tell in everything she does, it's personal."

Badger thanked everyone and then spotted Pablo Scarpellini. He reports for the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, but also has a personal connection to the destruction all around us: His wife's Spanish immersion school burned down.

"We're really counting on you to rebuild," he told Barger.

“We want to rebuild,” she replied. "We're ready to move mountains."

Barger said she told Rivas earlier that Sacramento needed to provide tax relief to residents who lost their homes so they could afford to rebuild and stay in their communities. He told her the Legislature was ready to help in any way.

“And there’s red tape,” she scoffed. "We keep saying we want to get rid of it, but we need to do this. I want people like Pierre to stay here. "

We're on Santa Rosa Street now. In December, it’s known as Christmas Tree Lane for its gorgeous holiday displays. The big cedars along the roadside weren't even charred and still had their old holiday lights hanging untouched - but nearly all the homes were destroyed. The cars in the driveway looked like melted ice cream cake.

Just a few weeks ago, Barger kicked off its annual neighborhood celebration, a 104-year-old tradition that attracts visitors from around the world.

"She flipped the switch," Dupuy said, shaking his head.

Badger looked around. “There’s no rhyme or reason to any of this,” she says, her voice catchy. "And, I, um... it's just..."

The great pressure seemed to finally be upon her. She looked up at the palm trees under her feet, whose leaves had turned to ashes, lowered her shoulders and head, and was silent for a while. Seeing a Los Angeles County Fire Department truck lifted her spirits.

"Where are you from?" she asked the crew. Duarte, they responded.

She smiled. "I'm your supervisor and I love you."

Let's keep walking. An ugly alarm sounded on her phone. This is an evacuation alert for Los Angeles County.

"We're ready," she said with a smile. A few days ago, people in Los Angeles County and even Orange County received a series of false alerts on their smartphones, straining already fragile nerves. "That makes sense."

I mentioned Donald Trump. Earlier in the morning, Barger announced that she had sent a letter to the incoming president asking him to visit Altadena and other affected communities. She hopes he can free up federal funds to help rebuild and help those in need.

“My constituents don’t care about party,” said Barger, the board’s lone Republican. “They care about who’s going to help them. It’s important for the president-elect to recognize that the people he says he’s running for — working-class people who can’t pay their rent and think eggs are too expensive — are here.

"I'll camp out on the White House lawn until he comes," she said with a laugh. "But I think he will."

After a brief tour of Wapello Street, where we visited the burned-out property of a couple who were friends with Molina and I—all that remained was their grandchildren’s slide—we arrived at Farnsworth Park. The entertainment center is still smoldering. A huge oak tree fell to the ground.

“When I became chairman, I said I wanted to bring our board together,” Barger said. "Unity remains my focus. But it will also be about rebuilding - rebuilding the lives of my constituents and confidence in our government. I will be as fully focused as you have ever seen."

Then another group of black SUVs came. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna and California attorneys. Gen. Rob Bonta got out of the car to greet Bagh.

"I brought my wife and her mother here for salsa night," Luna told her as they hugged. "They danced like crazy!"

I asked him if he had confidence in Barger to lead the county's recovery efforts.

"Simply put, she cares. The supervisor doesn't speak from a note. You can see it in her eyes. I'm telling you — she blows our minds," he said, referring to Los Angeles County departments like his person in charge.

“I have to keep this momentum going,” Barger said as we walked along the lake toward the sheriff’s station, referring to all the elected officials who suddenly wanted to talk to her. During our two-hour walk, her phone kept ringing. While I was out of breath towards the end, she didn't break a sweat. "Because the fire is about to be put out, but we still have a lot of work to do."

She is attending a news conference to discuss when residents will be allowed to return to the burned-out neighborhoods — she hopes to do so on Thursday. Then she noticed an immaculate house. The birds were chirping. A rooster crows in the distance. AT&T and Southern California Edison cars drive around.

"This is a friend of mine's house," she said. "They're already freaking out."

The supervisor took a photo with his smartphone. "I'll text them and let them know it's okay."