She Was 97 and Left Behind During Eaton Fire Evacuation
The Unbelievable Story of Dorothy Benesh
Dorothy Benesh was waiting in her room for almost two hours as a fire alarm echoed through her assisted living facility. The 97-year-old had moved into the Terraces at Park Marino just months earlier and was told that if the alarm ever sounded, she should stay in her room until someone came to help. But that night – as the deadly Eaton fire exploded from a canyon just north of the Pasadena care facility – nobody came.
A Son’s Desperate Search
When her son Jim Benesh called to check on her, he was shocked to learn she was still in her room. He jumped in his car and sped to the nursing home, where he found her in an empty building. “There she was sitting on her couch – with the fire outside her window,” he said. “It’s unbelievable.”
A Growing Concern
As the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and local members of Congress direct separate investigations into electronic alert failures and delayed evacuation orders in Altadena during the Jan. 7 firestorm, the California Department of Social Services has confirmed that it is investigating at least two instances in which elderly women appear to have been forgotten at senior care facilities during the Eaton fire, including Dorothy Benesh.
A Call for Change
Relatives and elder care advocates say the abandonment of California seniors at licensed care facilities during wildfires is a growing problem. They are demanding that the state impose more stringent safety procedures for assisted care operators so that nobody is left behind during an emergency evacuation. “Those procedures need to be updated, they need to be able to check and make sure everybody’s out of those buildings,” Jim Benesh said. “Why wouldn’t they go back and check every room and make sure everybody got out?”
The Investigation
The Department of Social Services has launched an investigation into what happened at the Terraces at Park Marino, as well as at MonteCedro, the assisted living facility in west Altadena where two elderly women were left behind and later discovered by sheriff’s deputies. The agency has also launched an investigation into the incident, but has declined to comment further.
Regulatory Gaps
California assisted living providers are required to have a “disaster and mass casualty plan” that includes training and drills, but it’s unclear exactly how detailed and rigorous those plans have to be. The Department of Social Services did not immediately respond to questions about those requirements.
The Aftermath
It’s not clear exactly when Jim Benesh found his mother and got her out, but according to his recollection and a review of his phone logs, he got her out about 9:15 p.m. The facility, which would ultimately be destroyed in the fire, fell within an area that was ordered to evacuate at 7:26 p.m. – roughly an hour after the blaze started.
Elder Care Advocates’ Concerns
Elder care advocates say what happened during the Eaton fire underscores the fact that seniors are the most vulnerable population in wildfires. “This is a huge issue,” said Anne Belden, co-author of the book “Inflamed: Abandonment, Heroism, and Outrage in Wine Country’s Deadliest Firestorm.” “It shouldn’t be the job of children of these residents to rescue them; that’s the job of the assistant living community.”
Conclusion
The investigation into the pair of Santa Rosa senior homes, where dozens of residents narrowly escaped after staff members abandoned the facilities, found that despite being billed and marketed as a high-end senior community, the facilities’ emergency plans were almost nonexistent. They also found that the staff members working that night were inadequately trained on any such procedures.
FAQs
* What happened during the Eaton fire?
The Eaton fire, which started on January 7, 2022, destroyed and damaged over 18,000 buildings, leaving a burn zone 2.5 times the size of Manhattan.
* Who was left behind during the fire?
At least two instances of elderly women being forgotten at senior care facilities during the Eaton fire, including Dorothy Benesh, a 97-year-old woman.
* What is being done to prevent similar incidents in the future?
The Department of Social Services has launched an investigation into the incident, and elder care advocates are calling for more stringent safety procedures for assisted care operators.
* What is being done to help seniors during wildfires?
Elder care advocates are calling for more stringent safety procedures, increased staffing levels, mandated training, emergency drills, and backup power requirements.
