Fred Guerra Leaves Legacy of Community at
Altadena Town & Country Club After Eaton Fire

Often described as a sleepy town nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena was jolted awake on January 7th, 2025 when fierce Santa Ana winds fueled the Eaton Fire, a fast-moving wildfire that tore through the east side of Los Angeles. Among the hundreds of homes and businesses lost was the historic Altadena Town & Country Club (ATCC), a 114-year-old tennis and community institution that had long served as a social and athletic hub for the area.

The Eaton Fire Hits Altadena

One of two devastating wildfires to tear through Los Angeles at the start of 2025, the Eaton Fire displaced thousands of residents, including many in the historically Black neighborhoods of Altadena.

By the end of the first day, the Eaton Fire had already burned 10,600 acres and damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 structures, including homes, schools, restaurants, and local businesses, according to Cal Fire. When the flames were finally extinguished, the fire had destroyed more than 9,400 structures and left a lasting mark on the community.

A Century of Tennis at Altadena Town & Country Club

Established in 1910, the Altadena Town & Country Club stood as a fixture of the community for over 100 years. The club served as a favorite social spot for members to enjoy a summer evening poolside or an intense 2-hour sweat session on the tennis courts. 

Southern California native Fred Guerra oversaw tennis operations at ATCC for the last 25 years. Growing up, Guerra played a variety of sports until the spring semester of his freshmen year at Franklin High School in Highland Park, about seven miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. That’s when he noticed his friends playing tennis and decided to try his hand. He went on to play varsity throughout high school before being recruited to play two years at Cal State LA, a public university whose tennis legacy includes Long Beach native and global icon Billie Jean King. 

From Local SoCal Player to Community Champion

Guerra acknowledged brothers Kal and Piya Moranon as being instrumental in developing his love for the game. “They knew my parents couldn’t afford to put me in lessons,” said Guerra. “They saw a kid who was passionate about the game and let me play with them in their group settings for free. That allowed me to advance my level of play because I was surrounded by the top tier of Southern California players at the time.”

Inspired by the Moranon brothers’ generosity, Guerra became a dedicated advocate for community tennis. In his own local community of nearby Pasadena, most tennis players would know Esther Hendershott, Director of Community Tennis for USTA Southern California and NJTL Pasadena Tennis Association. Over the years, Guerra coordinated donations  of racquets, ball carts, and nets from ATCC members – to equip local middle and high school players with the tools and pride to grow in the game.

“Under Fred’s leadership, ATCC adopted the Pasadena Tennis Association NJTL as its community partner, generously supporting our youth programs year after year,” added Hendershott. “Pasadena Tennis will always be grateful for Fred’s unwavering support and community spirit.”

Though Guerra always appreciated the importance of giving back to the community, he was hesitant to transfer his skills as a player to the role of tennis coach. At the age of 27, Guerra worked at a local tennis shop and was still competing in USTA tournaments in and around Southern California. When the ATCC Tennis Director at the time offered him a teaching pro gig, Guerra politely declined. A few months later, she returned with an offer Guerra couldn’t refuse — to take over her position as ATCC Tennis Director. 

Guerra accepted the position in 1999. “The rest is history 26 years later,” Guerra remarked.

A Beloved Tennis Club Lost Overnight

This year would have marked Guerra’s 26th year at ATCC. The day before the fires, intense winds had already cut tennis activities short with balls and debris whipping around the courts. Employees were sent home around 6 PM with furniture and broken glass scattered across the pool deck. The fire started around 6:30 PM. 

The next morning, messages flooded in from maintenance staff warning the club’s managers that the flames were dangerously close, with fire spotted near the back of the clubhouse.

“I drove up there about 8:30 AM and the club was gone. The whole neighborhood was gone,” Guerra recalled witnessing the fire’s aftermath. “You’re passing by firetrucks, by people going up and down the hills, and the whole neighborhood in front of the club and including the club was just completely gone. There’s no chance of saving it. There’s no firetrucks around because there’s so many fires happening all at once that there wasn’t enough manpower to do anything.”

Out of the 450 club members, 118 members lost their homes. The largest employer in the community, ATCC operations ran with the help of over 100 employees. An unimaginable circumstance became the reality for not only the players and members of the club, but also for the employees who essentially lost their jobs overnight. With no club to return to, Guerra was formally laid off a month later in February.

Barely 6 months out from the tragic loss, Guerra contemplates the idea of any positives that could be gleaned from the experience. “That’s a big sting, working there for over 25 years. I understood the reasons, but that was pretty heartbreaking. My positive takeaway would be that this disaster brought together not only the community of Altadena, but also the club membership in wanting enthusiastically to rebuild.” 

Impact on ATCC Members

In the immediate weeks after the fire, Guerra and others made an effort to stay in contact with the club members as best as possible amidst the chaos, displacement, and grief. They hosted several events in an attempt to bring everyone back together. 

“I talked to one member whose school [Saint Marks School] burnt down, their club burnt down, and their house burnt down. How do you wrap your head around that? Their whole world has just been devastated.” Guerra admitted that it was difficult, “going from person to person and having those rough conversations. But they all enjoyed the community aspect the club brought to them, and they were happy to see familiar faces.”

ATCC member and long-time student of Guerra’s, Maryanne Herrill attributes Guerra’s patient teaching style and ability to target specific weaknesses to her success learning tennis as an adult over the last 20 years. Today, in her 60s, Herrill plays competitively at the 5.0 level for multiple USTA SoCal Adult Leagues, even reaching USTA League Nationals.

Herrill reflected on the strong community spirit fostered by Guerra, citing incredible member outings to tournaments like the French Open, U.S. Open, and charity events like  the Cancer Support Community Pasadena as just a few highlights.

“Fred is an outstanding tennis professional who has spent decades developing one of the most successful, diverse, and local community-engaging tennis programs in our region,” said Herrill. 

Plans for Rebuilding Altadena Town & Country Club and Hope Ahead

A rebuild committee has been recently established, with plans indicating it will take around 4-5 years before a new clubhouse opens. Fortunately, the tennis courts themselves remain mostly unaffected by the fires as they sustained relatively little damage. According to Guerra, the plan is to reopen the courts and pool with limited amenities byLabor Day weekend.

Many of the club’s coaches have become “tennis nomads,” teaching at private homes or nearby clubs like Valley Hunt Club in Pasadena and Flint Canyon Tennis Club in La Cañada Flintridge However, many displaced members face challenges joining other clubs already at capacity.

While ATCC remains closed for rebuilding, members will surely miss signature events like the beloved Margarita Mixers, a lively tennis social that brought out upward of 60 people at a time, and the annual Pro-Am tournaments in May featuring top-level Southern California talent. Guerra especially values the full-circle moments of seeing the kids he taught from ages 5-10 return as adults with their own families.

“A lot of members called it the ‘anti-club’ because it’s very down-to-earth. It lacks the stuffiness of other clubs, it’s very relaxed, chill, and family-centric.” Guerra notes the friendships developed among the membership as well as the staff. “I can call a lot of the club members my best friends because we’ve been together for so long. When people join the club, they stay there because they feel a sense of community.”

Community Cautious Amid Environmental Concerns 

With concerns about the high levels of toxins unleashed into the city’s water and soil, residents are hesitant to return. Amidst the deep-rooted physical and emotional traumas, it will take time and confidence from the City’s health officials to ensure a safe environment for residents. 

Altadena’s strong community spirit persists despite physical and emotional scars. In Guerra’s view, “they’re fighting for a way to go back, but they want to make sure it’s in a safe way.”