Eaton Fire Hits Octavia Butler’s Final Resting Place in Altadena
Decades after Octavia E. Butler imagined a Los Angeles ravaged by wildfires in her acclaimed novel Parable of the Sower, the Altadena cemetery where the legendary science fiction author is buried narrowly escaped a similar fate.
According to a statement to AP, the Eaton Fire, which tore through parts of Altadena last week, reached the grounds of Mountain View Cemetery but caused only “minimal damage.”
A spokesperson confirmed to the Associated Press that the fire spared most of the cemetery, but they declined to comment on specific gravesites, including Butler’s.
The fire’s eerie proximity to Butler’s final resting place has reignited conversations about her uncanny predictions.
Written in 1993, Parable of the Sower envisions a near-future Los Angeles ravaged by climate disasters, societal collapse, and economic disparity. In one passage, the protagonist notes, “We had a fire today,” foreshadowing the devastating infernos that plague California today.
At least 25 people have lost their lives due to fires in Los Angeles, according to an update from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner on Tuesday (Jan 14).
The report confirmed that nine fatalities occurred in the Palisades Fire, while 16 lives were claimed by the Eaton Fire.
