Even for homes that emerged from the Palisades, Eaton and other fires without major structural damage, the blazes left an impression.
The smell of a “chemical campfire” has been detected at some surviving homes, as reported by the New York Times.
“This was the vexing reality that thousands of displaced people across Los Angeles faced, as they were allowed back home this weekend for the first time since fleeing the firestorms,” the Times reports. “Their homes had escaped the annihilation that burned 12,000 other structures, but were nonetheless filled with ash and smoke damage.”
Some homes were able to survive the fires, owing to architectural designs or just plain luck. Even if the structure stands, however, other dangers remain in fire-scarred areas.
“The properties have been damaged beyond belief,” Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said at a briefing. “They are full of sediment, debris, silt and hazardous materials.”
The level of devastation indicates that in addition to dozens of prominent and historic structures lost, many more may require extensive remediation before they can return to their pre-fire uses.
