Famous LA neighborhoods were reduced to ashes

Patty Burns, 93, who has a sparkling memory, has lived in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles for more than 60 years. She always keeps a black suitcase full of important documents in case of fire.

Tuesday, she wanted.

Her daughter, who lives down the street, arrives at her door in the morning to take her out. Flames fanned by severe storms were already burning in the Santa Monica Mountains in the most damaging fire. of History.

Burns grabbed her medicine, paused, put on a pair of dark blue dangling earrings, and left the house for the last time. “We’ve been afraid of this for years,” she said. “I’m thinking about things I need to do or get at home. But everything is over.

The Palisades Fire has burned nearly 20,000 acres, destroyed 5,000 structures and killed at least two people. The bomb on the block is detonated, the area looks like it was bombed. And four days later, Fires They’re still burning — in the Palisades and other neighborhoods in LA and the suburbs.

This week’s destruction has further strained the city, which has been plagued by a number of social and economic problems. LA is still struggling to come to grips with the homelessness crisis and lack of affordable housing. The most visible industry – Hollywood – is struggling after the disruptive effects of the streaming revolution and long-running attacks. Studios halted production in LA this week because of the fire.

And now LA faces a costly recovery effort in the city’s hardest-hit communities, with estimated financial losses from the fires reaching more than $150 billion, AccuWeather reports. All as LA prepares to host the Olympics in 2028.

Known for its winding streets, breathtaking ocean views, deep valleys, modern architectural masterpieces and Hollywood-famous residents, the Palisades has been one of the most sought-after addresses in America for decades.

But this week, the winding hill roads that make the area so spectacular have turned into hellish escape routes. Traffic came to a standstill as the fire loomed over the hills behind. Many drivers abandoned their Teslas and Priuses and chose to flee on foot.

As firefighters battled to contain the blaze in the Palisades, flames broke out in other parts of LA: first in Santa Monica, where some residents were told to evacuate, then in Altadena, about 30 miles to the east.

Over the next two days, more fires broke out in the Hollywood Hills – dangerously close to the Hollywood sign and other landmarks – Pasadena and the San Fernando Valley.

The fire was fanned by the dry, seasonal Santa Ana winds and fueled by months of drought.

Efforts were made to control the fire. Winds that occasionally reached hurricane-force levels drove away helicopters and “super scoper” planes used to fight fires from the air. The Palisades battled intermittent low water pressure, hampering firefighters on the ground who found it dry.

About 400,000 LA County residents were under evacuation orders or warnings as of late Thursday. Far from the burned hills, many houses were filled with friends who lost their homes or weren’t sure if they were still standing.

“This is like a rich man’s refugee crisis,” said app developer Brayden Gerus, who owns a branding agency. Gerrus’ home in Palisades burned Tuesday, forcing his family to stay with friends in Brentwood.

“We only have the clothes we’re wearing. That’s it,” he said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, and President Joe Biden released federal funds to pay for temporary housing, home repairs and mortgages for uninsured property damage.

But the fire has already become political, with President-elect Donald Trump blaming Newsom for the problem. And in L.A., Mayor Karen Bass was criticized for being part of a delegation to Ghana when the fire broke out, which critics say delayed the response.

The Altadena fires were devastating, with an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. Among them is the new home that Jake, a musician and his wife recently purchased, who are attracted to the up-and-coming area near the San Gabriel Mountains.

“We got married a year ago and we were saving. We literally bought our house,” he said. “We had our first night in the house a week ago. The boxes were not yet fully packed.

When they heard about the Palisades fire, they grabbed “go bags”. They left on Wednesday after the wind began whipping the trees around their home, only to discover that their new home had caught fire in a television clip.

Jake has home insurance from California Fair Plan, but he knows it won’t cover all losses. “We are working on insurance claims and trying to figure out what to do next,” he said. “The whole town of Altadena is on fire.”

In the Palisades, the fate of several mid-20th century modern buildings, such as the Eames House, built in 1949 by Charles and Ray Eames, is at stake. The couple and other architects, including Richard Nutra, have built several impressive case study homes that have helped create a modern, open style in the Palisades, which is tied to the rugged Pacific coast.

“We’ve never had a fire of this magnitude,” said Adrian Scott Finn, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy. It is very powerful from what we see, not only for individual buildings, but for the loss of neighborhoods as a whole.

In the year Some properties have already burned down, including the Keeler House, built by Ray Kappe in 1991, Fine said. But it’s not just modern architectural landmarks that are disappearing.

William Fowler, an app developer based out of Topanga Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains, says he misses even more humble places. The Malibu Feed Bin, a rustic structure where people buy animal feed and firewood, also burned, as well as The Real Inn, a fish and chip shop on Pacific Coast Highway.

“The things they carry cannot be the same,” he said. But despite the fire’s devastation, he believed people still wanted to live on the LA coast.

“Everyone knows the risks,” he said. “People want to rebuild in the Palisades.”

Cartography by Steven Bernard