Los Angeles’ iconic landmarks have turned to ashes

Patty Burns, a 93-year-old with a good memory, has lived in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles for more than 60 years. She always kept a black suitcase full of important documents just in case. no.

On Tuesday, he needed it.

His daughter, who lives down the road, came to his door that morning to let him out. Flamesdriven by strong winds, it was already blowing through the Santa Monica Mountains where it would become the most dangerous fire THE TRAVELER history.

Burns took his medicine, paused to put on his dark blue earrings with a smile, and left his house one last time. He said: “We have been afraid of this for years. “I’m always thinking about things I should do at home or things I should get. But it’s all over. ”

The Palisades Fire has burned nearly 20,000 acres, destroyed 5,000 structures and killed at least two people. Block upon block has been destroyed, leaving the area looking like the aftermath of a bombing raid. And four days hence, the fires they’re still burning — in the Palisades and elsewhere throughout LA and its suburbs.

The devastation caused this week has also troubled a city that has been plagued by many health and economic problems. LA is struggling to deal with homelessness and a lack of affordable housing. Its most visible industry – Hollywood – is facing the disruptive impact of a shift in the flow and the effects of prolonged strikes. Studios have suspended work this week on LA productions due to the fire.

LA is now facing an expensive recovery effort in badly damaged communities across the city, with estimates of financial losses due to the fire reaching more than $150bn, according to AccuWeather. All while LA is preparing to host the Olympics in 2028.

The Palisades, known for its winding streets, beautiful ocean views, deep canyons, beautiful works of modern architecture and famous Hollywood residents, has always been one of the most desirable addresses US for decades.

But this week the winding hilly roads that make the area so magical have been transformed into hellish roads. Traffic came to a standstill as the fire burned in the hills behind. Many drivers abandoned their Teslas and Priuses, choosing to flee on foot as the flames tore through the canyons.

As firefighters battled to contain the fire 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, around about 30 kilometers east.

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

The fire was fueled by Santa Ana’s dry seasonal air, and there was plenty of fuel due to months of drought.

Efforts to beat the flames have been difficult. Strong winds, reaching hurricanes at times, grounded helicopters and “super scooper” planes used to fight the flames from the air. The Palisades struggled at times with low water pressure, hampering firefighters on the ground who found fire hydrants dry.

About 400,000 residents of LA County were under evacuation orders or warnings as of late Thursday. Many houses safely away from the burning hills were filled with friends who had lost their homes or were not sure where they were.

“This is like a crisis of wealthy refugees,” said Brydon Gerus, an equipment manufacturer and business owner. Gerus’ home in Palisades burned Tuesday, forcing his family to stay with friends in Brentwood.

“We only have clothes that we wear. That’s it,” he said. We must come to terms with the fact that all things will come to an end.

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

But the fires have turned political, with president-elect Donald Trump blaming Newsom for the crisis. And in LA, Mayor Karen Bass has been criticized for being part of the Ghanaian delegation when the fires broke out, which critics say slowed the response.

The Altadena fires were devastating, with between 4,000 and 5,000 buildings estimated to have been damaged or destroyed. Among them was a new home recently purchased by Jake, who is a musician, and his wife, who were impressed by the developing area near the San Gabriel Mountains.

“We got married about a year ago and have been saving. We had just bought our house,” he said. “We spent our first night in the house last week. The boxes were not completely packed.”

They packed their “go bags” when they heard about the Palisades fires. They fled after winds began whipping trees around their home on Wednesday, only to find that their new home had been set on fire by a television clip.

Jake has home insurance from California’s Fair Plan, but he knows it won’t cover the entire loss. “We’re still processing insurance claims and trying to figure out what to do next,” he said. “The whole town of Altadena burned down.

In the Palisades, there are concerns about the fate of several important mid-20th century buildings, such as the Eames House, built in 1949 by Charles and Ray Eames. The couple and other architects, including Richard Neutra, built many homes in the Palisades that helped create the modern, open style that became associated with the rugged Pacific coast.

Adrian Scott Fine, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy, said: “We’ve never had a fire of this magnitude. “It’s very powerful in terms of what we can look at in terms of the loss of historic sites, not just individual buildings, but entire neighborhoods.”

Other houses burned, including the Keeler House, a modernist building built by Ray Kappe in 1991, Fine said. But it is not modern architectural symbols that are being lost.

William Fowler, an app developer who moved from Topanga Canyon, in the Santa Monica Mountains, said other humble places will also be missed. He said the Malibu Feed Bin, a barn-like structure where people bought animal feed and firewood, burned, along with The Reel Inn, a fish and chip shop along Pacific Coast Highway.

He said: “A lot of things will not be the same. But he believed that people would still want to live on the beach in LA, despite the fire damage.

“Everybody knows the risks,” he said. “People will want to rebuild the Palisades.”

Cartographer by Steven Bernard