One Year After Eaton Fire: Letty Ochoa Shares Her Story of Leadership & Resilience on Heroes Behind Headlines
It has been one year since the devastating Eaton Fire tore through Altadena and Pasadena, leaving a lasting impact on the community. The fire claimed 19 lives, destroyed more than 9,000 buildings, and became the fifth deadliest and second most destructive wildfire in California history. As flames threatened neighborhoods, Pasadena Transit operators from Transdev were called to act – and they did so with extraordinary courage.
In a new episode of the Heroes Behind Headlines podcast, General Manager Letty Ochoa recounts how she and her team worked around the clock for three days to evacuate 500 residents from senior centers, driving through flames, flying embers, and overwhelming smoke.
“It was the longest three days of my life.”
Letty OchoaGeneral Manager, Transdev Pasadena
Fourteen bus drivers, led by Ochoa and Assistant General Manager Erasmo Rodriguez, put themselves in harm’s way to keep the community safe. Their bravery and teamwork saved lives during one of the most harrowing disasters in recent memory.
“Each and every one of them came in wanting to help,” Ochoa said. “I’m in dispatch watching through the cameras, and I’m just sitting there in tears, wondering, ‘Did I do the right thing? Did I make the right call?”
The emotional toll was immense.
“It impacted each of us to the deepest level. The best gift I got was drivers saying – ‘We only did this because you asked us to. We did this for you because you led us. You lead us.”
Today, as the community continues to recover, Ochoa reflects on the experience with gratitude.
“I'm so blessed and grateful to have such a great team.”
