LeVar Burton Helps Save a California Library After Wildfire Devastation

For more than three weeks in January 2025, Southern California was ravaged by wildfires. Extra dry conditions, combined with an overabundance of plant growth from the prior winter, added up to a lethal cocktail and helped fuel a series of fires that left more than 30 people dead and destroyed more than 18,000 buildings.

One of the most severely hit places was Altadena, where the community was devastated by nineteen deaths and the destruction of much of the town’s cultural and economic infrastructure. The process of healing and rebuilding is still ongoing, and it’s likely to be a long and bitter one. Touched by what had happened to the community, the actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton decided to lend a hand.

A Community Ravaged by Fire

The Eaton Fire – one of the series of wildfires that tore through California at the beginning of 2025 – devastated most of Altadena. The Altadena Main Library on Mariposa Street and the Bob Lucas Memorial Library and Literacy Centre on Lincoln Avenue were not destroyed, which meant the Altadena Libraries team could consider themselves among the lucky ones in the community.

However, this does not mean the libraries were left untouched. Both buildings experienced severe damage, and two months of cleaning and renovation were required to bring them both back to their former condition. All of the libraries’ shelves had to be cleaned and expected, including 70,000 books.

“It’s miraculous that this library and our other branch library in Altadena survived in the midst of so much devastation,” said Board trustee Dr. Katie Clark. “To have a piece of what feels like continuity, a piece of familiarity in the midst of all of this is so important.”

Reopening the Library

What Dr. Clark said about familiarity and continuity is very important. Both of Altadena’s libraries are at the absolute core of the local community. And remember, this is a community that has been through so much recently.

To have the familiarity and continuity that Dr. Clark speaks of, but also to have the support and warmth that a library offers, is absolutely key for a community like this one, as it gets back on its feet.

So the team was eager to get the library back up and open for business again as soon as possible.

And for this, they called upon a famous name, who was happy to lend a hand.

That famous name was LeVar Burton. He is famous for different reasons across different generations.

Some know him as Kunta Kinte in the miniseries Roots.

Others associate him with Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation or as the host of Reading Rainbow. It was through this last project that LeVar was able to promote one of his key passions – literacy.

As a literacy advocate, LeVar jumped at the chance to help the library out. At the library’s reopening day back in March, LeVar performed a memorable reading and also donated copies of the children’s book he published with Susan Bernardo.

A Meaningful Cause for LeVar

LeVar explained why the Altadena Library cause meant so much to him. He described how Altadena had been so important as a largely black area of Southern California, and was a crucial part of the Black Angeleno identity.

“I’m from Sacramento,” Levar said, “where we don’t have an ‘Altadena.’ However, I’ve lived in Southern California since 1974, and I recognize the value and the unique spirit of Altadena and places like it in these United States…well, these formerly ‘United’ States. This is important to me.”

He also explained how his role in the Reading Rainbow project made him an ideal candidate to help get the library back on its feet.

“Well… when tragedies like this happen, I know I’m sitting on a resource that could be of value,” LeVar said.

Continuing the Healing Process

The community of Altadena still has a long way to go before it is truly back on its feet. Many of the scars of January 2025 will simply never heal. But with the library back up and running, it has at least taken a big step in the right direction – the puzzle pieces of familiarity and continuity are falling back into place.

Now, the library needs to be supported. Just like all libraries need to be supported. LeVar was quite clear on how to do this:

“[The Altadena Library opening] is a sort of a public awareness celebration of the fact that this community resource is available… so, go to your public library!” He said.

Engage the librarians who are national treasures and check out books and expand your reading horizons, indulge in your reading proclivities. Just go to the library.