Written by Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – From the air, once-thriving Los Angeles neighborhoods devastated by recent wildfires now appear as block after block of greyish-brown ash and rubble. Sunlight reflects the skeletal remains of homes, restaurants and shops.
The only bright colors seen from a helicopter flight over fire-affected areas on Wednesday came from a few red cars and one yellow car. Traffic was light as residents in most parts of the area remained remote.
Some stone chimneys and trees stood tall in Altadena, the city that bore the brunt of the Easton fire.
On one street, a white picket fence remained unscathed from the inferno, its gate open, but the house a few paces away was burned to the ground. Another area showed about ten intact houses, while others around them were burned.
Numerous backyard swimming pools, burning cars and twisted metal parts of homes were visible from the sky.
To the west, the Palisades Fire has scarred the hills where the upscale enclave offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.
Since the two fires broke out on Jan. 7, they have burned an area about the size of Washington, D.C., killing 28 people and destroying or damaging nearly 16,000 structures, Cal Fire said.
As of Wednesday, Eaton (NYSE:) The fire is 91% contained and the Palisades fire is 68% contained.
Plumes of smoke rose from a new fire north of Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Hughes Fire quickly spread to 9,400 acres (38 km2), resulting in mandatory evacuation orders for more than 31,000 people.
