Woman who lost home in LA wildfires dies at jazz festival

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 22:24 · Archive

Shari Sanders of Altadena collapsed and died at a jazz festival in October after recently moving back into her home, which was destroyed in January wildfires.

Shari Sanders collapsed in the VIP tent at Carson's Anderson Park on 3 October during a heat wave that brought triple-digit temperatures to the area. She was saving seats for her family when she became unresponsive. A doctor at the festival, Dr Dionne Leslie, performed CPR for approximately 20 minutes before paramedics arrived, but Sanders could not be revived.

Sanders lived in Altadena for 35 years before the Eaton Fire destroyed her home in January 2025. That blaze, fuelled by Santa Ana winds, also devastated the nearby Palisades Fire area, destroying thousands of homes across Los Angeles. After more than a year of rebuilding, Sanders had only recently moved back into her rebuilt home.

According to a GoFundMe message set up by her son Henry Ephriam, Sanders had barely had time to enjoy her new home. 'Her house was only recently finished, and she did not get to enjoy it for a month,' the message stated. The family described Sanders as a mother of three sons and grandmother of eight who also helped raise her nieces and nephews, calling her 'the glue keeping this family together.' Her death at the festival has sparked outrage over the decision to allow performances to continue after she died.

How it is being reported

• California woman whose death at concert sparked outrage after band played on had just moved into new home after devastating wildfiresA California woman who had tragically died during a jazz concert due to extreme heat had recently moved into a new home after initially losing it to the wildfires that engulfed Los Angeles last year.Daily Mail · 9 Oct, 22:10
• Family reveals double tragedy for SoCal concertgoer who died as band played onA family devastated by the sudden loss of their loved one at a jazz festival has revealed the southern California concertgoer lost her home in the January 2025 wildfires that swept across Los Angeles.New York Post · 9 Oct, 03:31

In this story: Shari Sanders · Altadena · Los Angeles · Eaton Fire · Dr Dionne Leslie · Sheila E.

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem