There was a strange feeling when I walked past the homes taken by the fires at Pasadena and Altadena in Los Angeles. A feeling like I had been there before. But I knew I hadn’t.

What did the brick chimney columns and arches leading to nowhere remind me of? Ruins. That is what it was. Ruins that I’d seen on my travels or in postcards. What was once an era is now a fading silhouette.

In the residential areas of Pasadena and Altadena, where I walked alone, on the deserted streets, the fires had consigned what were people’s homes, as of the previous day, to the forever past. Their little civilisation, which was their world, was done. Such was the cruel arbitrariness of the raging fires that a random home next door or next block could still be standing intact while others return to a charred nothingness, arches and chimney pillars, a fireplace, the shell of a car. There’s no saying what survives. Entire rooms vanished, books, furniture, kitchen cabinets, dishes, clothing, sofas, tables, curtains, walls, roofs, will all be gone without a trace. Maybe, a bathtub would remain.

‘It’s Our Entire Community’

The process of rebuilding lives lost to a fire can take years. With fire insurance becoming scarce or prohibitive over the years, many don’t have the financial cover. Those who can may want to rebuild in the same neighbourhood community they have lived in for years. Yet, for some like Kristin from the Palisades, there is no neighbourhood left at all.

Kristin, who spent the last 15 years raising her children in the Palisades, came home from vacation to learn that her home was gone, and so was the brick-and-mortar existence of her entire community. “I lost all my family albums, the sentimental things,” she says, clutching her chest. “Like the watch my father gave me. I only have the stuff I took with me in my suitcase for a holiday. But it is not just us. It is our entire community. Though I am thankful my family is together,” she says, showing me pictures of levelled land that was once the community church, the grocery store, the school. “I am heartbroken for my community.”

Fire and tragedy bring people closer together. It makes people talk to each other when they might not have earlier. It makes them see each other for who they are and, to a degree, trust each other more. Earlier that morning, with so many road closures, I had no idea how to go about reaching the sites of the fires from my downtown hotel. The hotel doorman suggested a route to my Armenian American taxi driver, who then called his friend in Pasadena to see exactly which roads to take. A police officer on duty believed me when I said I had a story to report and asked another reporter with a personal car to give me a ride.

Living With Uncertainty

The reporter, who didn’t know me at all, willingly drove me and then offered me a mask. Delhi’s winter air was not a patch on these toxic fumes. At times like these, even strangers come together to help each other. It will take that spirit of community, if not its infrastructure, to get through this travail.

I walk past bright white rose bushes blooming on a gleaming white picket fence, still guarding a house that is entirely burnt down. A surreal sight. But the devastation leads me to wonder about the emotional toll this disaster has taken not just on those who have lost their homes, but also on those who are living with uncertainty, knowing that with more winds expected this week, it might be their time to leave.

“I sleep with one eye open,” says Lee Roy Lahey, an artist in LA’s famous animation industry. Lee Roy says that many middle-class workers in animation have been badly affected by the Eaton fire that razed Altadena and Pasadena. While celebrity homes make news, many others in the entertainment industry have been also hit badly.

Residents have been suspended in a state of constant vigilance and intelligence gathering, trying to preserve some semblance of normalcy for their children. “We know that there cannot be any catastrophising in front of the kids. Yet, if we wait too long and something happens, trying to get out will be a really big problem.”

These are the daily negotiations that young families who have not had to leave their homes, face. But there is hope. A community GoFundMe page has friends from the animation industry supporting each other. Storyboard artists, VFX engineers, illustrators, whose names are on the credits of some of my children’s favourite cartoons, have lost their homes entirely and have nothing left to rebuild. Yet, each family appears to have gathered some funds to help them restart their lives. And they are full of humility and gratitude.

Is gratitude a survival mechanism? The cynic in me sometimes wonders. Or is it, in this case, an instant levelling-up of one’s humanity brought forth by life’s great teacher: loss?

(Amrita Gandhi is a television host, writer and producer)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Los Angeles:

US officials warned “dangerous and strong” winds were set to push deadly wildfires further through Los Angeles residential areas Sunday as firefighters struggled to make progress against the flames.

At least 16 people have been confirmed dead from blazes that have ripped through the city, reducing whole neighborhoods to ashes and leaving thousands without homes.

Despite massive efforts, including precision sorties from aerial crews, the Palisades Fire continued to grow, spreading east towards the priceless collections of the Getty Center art museum and north to the densely populated San Fernando Valley.

“The winds are potentially getting dangerous and strong again,” Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told CNN.

“The biggest thing that people need to know is that this is still dangerous.”

A brief lull in the wind gave way to gusts that forecasters warned could reach up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour) early Sunday, and feed the blazes for days to come.

The winds were due to weaken later Sunday before picking up again overnight, the National Weather Service said.

Nowhere to live

The Palisades Fire was 11 percent contained but had grown to 23,600 acres (9,500 hectares), while the Eaton Fire was at 14,000 acres and 15 percent contained.

Official figures show more than 12,000 structures burned, though Cal Fire’s Todd Hopkins said not all were houses and the number included outbuildings, trailers and sheds.

In some areas, the ferocious fire left streaks of molten metal flowing from burnt-out cars.

The sudden rush of evacuated people needing somewhere to live posed a growing problem for the city.

“I’m back on the market with tens of thousands of people,” said a man who gave his name as Brian, whose rent-controlled apartment has burned. “That doesn’t bode well.”

With incidences of looting and a nighttime curfew in place, police and National Guard mounted checkpoints to prevent people getting into the disaster zones.

Two people were arrested near Vice President Kamala Harris’s Brentwood house for violating the curfew order after police received reports of burglary.

A handwritten sign with “looters will be shot” was hung on one tree, next to the US flag outside a house in Pacific Palisades.

But the security checkpoints have left residents frustrated as they queue for up to 10 hours to try to get back in and see what, if anything, is left of their homes or check on family.

Prevented from entering an evacuation zone, Altadena resident Bobby Salman, 42, said: “I have to be there to protect my family, my wife, my kids, my mom and I cannot even go and see them.”

The queues left some people fuming about poor management, the latest gripe from a population already angry over hydrants that ran dry in the initial firefight.

City officials have put on a united front after reports of a behind-the-scenes row between the mayor and the fire chief.

But President-elect Donald Trump accused California officials of incompetence.

“This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Teams with cadaver dogs were combing through the rubble, with several people known to be missing and fears that the death toll will grow.

Among those known to have died in the tragedy was former Australian child star Rory Sykes, who appeared in British TV show “Kiddy Kapers” in the 1990s.

Climate impact

A huge investigation by federal and local authorities was underway to determine what caused the blazes.

California Governor Gavin Newsom told Meet the Press he was also launching a “Marshall Plan” for the state as it looks to rebuild.

“We already have a team looking at reimagining L.A. 2.0,” he said.

He also stressed the immediate problem of weather conditions, saying “the challenge is the winds. We’ve got these winds coming back this evening, Sunday night. We’ve got peak winds on Monday.”

While the ignition of a wildfire can be deliberate, they are often natural, and a vital part of an environment’s life cycle.

But urban sprawl puts people more frequently in harm’s way, and the changing climate — supercharged by humanity’s unchecked use of fossil fuels — is exacerbating the conditions that give rise to destructive blazes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The largest of the raging wildfires that have devastated parts of Los Angeles this week has, till now, burnt 10,000 structures as neighbourhoods turn to ashes. Thousands of people are homeless; a public health emergency has been declared over smoke all around the area. Insurers are facing billions in claims as many notable rich people, including celebrities like Paris Hilton, have lost their houses to this massive fire.

The fire, the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles, has razed whole neighbourhoods to the ground, leaving just the smouldering ruins of what had been people’s homes and possessions. But surprisingly there are a few houses that remained safe this time when heavy winds were taking the fire to even hills to lands. One of the untouched mansions is of David Steiner, a retired waste-management mogul from Texas.

Also Read | Los Angeles Fire: Tom Hanks’ Mansion Miraculously Survives As Many Celebrity Homes Ravaged

David Steiner’s $9 million Malibu mansion miraculously spared being levelled by the raging Los Angeles wildfires. He told The New York Post on Friday he was stunned to learn that when the smoke cleared, it was still standing.

“It’s a miracle-miracles never cease,” said the 64-year-old trash tycoon.

Also Read | US Lottery Winner Of $2 Billion Loses Entire Los Angeles Mansion In Devastating Wildfires

Steiner said he thought his stunning three-story California structure-which was vacant at the time-was a goner when a local contractor sent him video of flames and smoke engulfing his property and his neighbours’ Tuesday.

Six simultaneous blazes that have ripped across Los Angeles County neighbourhoods since Tuesday have killed at least 11 people and damaged or destroyed 10,000 structures. The toll is expected to mount when firefighters are able to conduct house-to-house searches.

Los Angeles, United States:

When wildfires destroyed parts of Los Angeles this week, real estate agent Jenna Cooper started asking friends for clothing and other items to help people in need. Her request spread quickly through a network of powerful women. Actors including Sharon Stone and Halle Berry responded, providing sweaters, shoes, clothing, handbags, belts, pajamas and more pulled from their own collections.

“I’m packing up my entire closet,” Berry wrote on Instagram. “If you live in the Southern California area, I urge you to do the same. This is something we can do right now.”

Cooper, who also runs a home goods store called +COOP, cleared half the space to create a pop-up shopping experience for displaced people to take what they need. Many Angelenos lost entire homes in the fires, which were still burning on Friday.

Stone circulated information about the donations on social media, which helped attract publicity. She and her sister, Kelly Stone, contributed clothing, bedding and more, and Kelly volunteered to assist shoppers.

“The first thing they need when they come in the store is a hug,” Kelly Stone said. She then said to shoppers, “Show me pictures of yourself, how do you dress?” so she could direct them to sweaters or trench coats that reflected their style.

At the store on Friday, a therapy dog named Jackie Robinson greeted people at the door. Inside, they looked through racks of dresses and coats, stacks of denim, shelves of shoes and baskets of handbags.

Offerings ranged from packages of fresh underwear from Target to new or lightly used Zara dresses and some Gucci and Ferragamo shoes in the mix.

Cooper said she received donations and volunteer support from power players across Los Angeles, including actors, executives, lawyers, restaurant owners and moms. Her network of real estate agents in New York was sending gift cards, she said.

One Hollywood stylist came with two large bags of items from her closet and was enlisted to help organize the store for shoppers over the weekend.

“I know people who have lost everything, and even people I don’t know I’m devastated for,” said Lisa Cera, who has worked for celebrities including the Kardashians and Lenny Kravitz. “I decided I’m just going to bring whatever I can.”

Ellen Bennett was choosing items for her 72-year-old mother, who lost her home in the Eaton fire on the east side of Los Angeles. Bennett said she selected “the basics,” including socks, sweaters, pants, a jacket and a pair of running shoes.

“She left her house with her dog and a bag and just a few things. She thought she would come back,” Bennett said of her mother, adding, “It’s so special and beautiful that in this time of tragedy, people are rising up and helping each other.”

Store owner Cooper said she helped a man find a pair of sneakers so he could run on the beach, something he had not done since the fires erupted. She said she was overwhelmed by the response to her idea to help.

“This is a city of love, and everybody wants to support each other,” Cooper said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Los Angeles:

Two animal lovers who stopped on a US freeway to rescue a stranded kitten caused a three-vehicle crash — and then lost the cat they were trying to help.

The couple spotted the stray moggy as they drove east on the CA-91 near Los Angeles on Wednesday, California Highway Patrol Officer Javier Navarro said.

The woman driver got off at the next exit and headed back to search for the cat, slowing down to 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour in the carpool lane — the innermost lane.

When they found the animal, the male passenger jumped out and grabbed the kitty, while the driver blocked traffic, causing a queue of cars.

“Another car comes up behind them and swerves to the left to avoid rear-ending them, clips the left rear of the last car” sending it careering towards the man holding the cat, said Navarro.

“The driver of that car swerves right to avoid the pedestrian, and ends up going across all lanes and hitting a semi-truck.”

Meanwhile, the man holding the cat hopped the center-divider to get out of the path of the car — dropping the animal in the process.

Three vehicles were damaged in the incident, though no one was injured.

And the cat?

“He doesn’t get hit, he doesn’t get hurt. He made it across on his own,” said Navarro.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)