Los Angeles County in the US has been battling devastating wildfires for the past five days. At least 11 people are dead and thousands of structures, which include homes, commercial buildings and vehicles, have been damaged or destroyed. While the fires that have devastated celebrity neighbourhoods near Malibu have caught the world’s attention, a similar-sized blaze in Eaton Canyon, north of Los Angeles, has ravaged Altadena, where rows of neat bungalows once nestled. But as the embers cooled, some residents whose homes were ravaged in the inferno returned to see what remained.
According to the BBC, many residents of Altadena found small trinkets that brought smiles to their faces amid a hellish ordeal. Six-year-old Henry Giles was among 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 inferno. “Mommy look, they survived! We hid them in the bushes because we knew there would be a fire!” he excitedly yelled, per the outlet.
Another man, 52-year-old Larry Villescas, was also able to find a few things, including a wedding gift from 25 years ago. He said that he found a Christmas ornament, a Dr Suess book and something that nearly brought him to tears.
“We found a dish and a bowl that’s part of a dish set that my great aunt gave us on our wedding day. It’s lasted 24 years. We’ve been together 29 and we got married four years later, and so 24 years old that bowl and that plate, believe it or not,” he told the BBC.
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Even though not much survived the fire, a few other residents were able to find small things that are now even more special to them. Daron Anderson said that he found a white and blue flowered vase from the pile of debris that stayed together. “I know my mom will like it,” he said, adding, “It’s small, but it’s something.”
Another woman sifted through charred coins to find two pearls belonging to her mother’s necklace, while her neighbour managed to find a power saw and an antique hand tool.
LA wildfires to be costliest US disaster
Meanwhile, as firefighters continue to combat the Eaton Fire, its destruction has taken a toll on the Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities. At least 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the area, CBS News reported. Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said that crews have made good progress on portions of the blaze, 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 surpassing $135 billion. According to a preliminary estimate by private forecaster AccuWeather, the total losses could reach as high as $150 billion, making it one of the most expensive wildfires the country has ever seen.
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