Editor-DN
The Los Angeles County of America has been battling devastating wildfires for the past five days. At least 11 people have been killed and thousands of structures, including homes, commercial buildings and vehicles, have been damaged or destroyed. While fires that destroyed celebrity neighborhoods near Malibu have captured the world’s attention, a similar fire in Eaton Canyon, north of Los Angeles, has ravaged Altadena, a once-gentrified collection of bungalows. There were queues. But as the embers cooled, some residents whose homes were destroyed in the fire returned to see what was left.
According to The BBCmany Altadena residents found little trinkets during a hellish ordeal that brought smiles to their faces. Six-year-old Henry Giles was one of them. When the little boy returned to his home in Altadena with his parents, he found a bucket and a toy lawnmower that survived the fire. “Look mom, they survived! We hid them in the bushes because we knew there would be a fire!” she exclaimed excitedly.
Another man, 52-year-old Larry Velasquez, also managed to find some items, including a wedding present from 25 years ago. He said he got a Christmas ornament, a Dr. Seuss book, and something that almost made him cry.
“We got a dish and a bowl that were part of a dish set that my grandmother gave us on our wedding day. It lasted 24 years. We were together for 29 years and we got married four years later, and she was 24 years old. The bowl and that plate, believe it or not,” he told the BBC.
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Although not many escaped the fire, a few other residents managed to find little things that are even more special to them now. Derron Anderson said he found a bouquet of white and blue flowers standing together in the rubble. “I know my mom would love it,” he added, “It’s small, but it’s something.”
Another woman sifted through charred coins to find two pearls from her mother’s necklace, while her neighbor managed to find a power saw and an ancient hand tool.
The LA wildfires will be America’s costliest disaster.
Meanwhile, as firefighters continue to battle the Eaton fire, its devastation takes its toll on the communities of Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre. At least 7,000 structures were damaged or destroyed in the area. CBS News Reported California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Operations Section Chief Don Frigolia said crews have made good progress on some parts of the fire, while other areas are still very active.
The devastating Los Angeles wildfires are poised to become one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, with estimated losses already exceeding $135 billion. According to preliminary estimates by AccuWeather, a private forecaster, total damages could reach $150 billion, making it one of the nation’s costliest wildfires to date.
