As the Eaton Fire rapidly spread through Altadena and Pasadena, thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, including seniors at Terraces at Park Marino, an assisted living center. However, some residents were left behind, raising serious concerns about emergency evacuation procedures at senior care facilities.
Son Rescues Mother Left Behind in Burning Facility
Among those trapped was Dorothy Benesh, who remained waiting on the third floor as the fire raged outside. Her son, Jim Benesh, had spoken to her multiple times on the phone, but when she told him the alarm had stopped going off, he realized no one had come to get her.
“I had to do something and get over there,” Jim said.
Jim rushed through the burning streets from his home in Pasadena and arrived at the Terraces at Park Marino just as firefighters surrounded the facility.
“All of the doors were open except for my mom’s,” he recalled. “When I opened the door, she responded, ‘Yeah. I’m here.’ The fire was right outside her window.”
The care center ultimately burned down, but Dorothy was rescued in time.
Other Seniors Also Left Behind
Jim later learned his mother was not the only one abandoned during the evacuation. Firefighters discovered a 100-year-old woman and her neighbor hours after the Montecedro Retirement Home in Altadena had supposedly been fully evacuated.
Jim is now calling for stronger regulations to ensure that emergency protocols prevent this from happening again.
“My main concern is getting procedures in place,” he said. “Staff and firefighters should check every room to make sure no one is left behind.”
State Investigation and Call for Change
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS), which licenses assisted living facilities, confirmed it has launched an investigation into what happened at Terraces at Park Marino.
Jim is also urging state lawmakers to mandate coordinated evacuation plans between care facilities and fire departments to prevent similar tragedies.
“I’ve never received an official apology, but I don’t need one,” Jim said. “I just want them to put procedures in place.”
If Jim had been out of town that night, the outcome could have been tragic.
Facility Remains Silent Amid Investigation
KCAL News reached out to Terraces at Park Marino for a statement, but has not received a response.
