ALTADENA, CALIF. – Broken shards of glass. Burnt paint cans. And melted tire rims. The Eaton Fire swept through Altadena, Calif., late Tuesday night, destroying thousands of structures and forcing thousands of residents to flee with only the bare necessities – leaving behind a blackened char just about everywhere in its wake.
As of Monday, the fire was only 33% contained and has burned more than 14,000 acres. Fox News Digital traveled to an evacuation zone in Altadena on Saturday to see the devastation from one of the largest wildfires in California’s history.
Roadblocks and checkpoints were set up throughout multiple streets to prevent residents from returning to their homes as officials work to clear roads and fix downed power lines. Police car after police car drove through the blocked-off areas to monitor any unusual activity amid concerns of looting. Firetrucks from West Covina, Santa Fe Springs, Pasadena, Downey and Vandenberg were also seen driving up and down the evacuation area.
A mural of Altadena is seen on the side of a building. (Fox News Digital / Ashley Carnahan)
A Brake Masters express oil change shop at the corner of Alameda Street and Lake Avenue was all but destroyed except for the sign at the front that boasted “lifetime brakes” and one white pillar at the store’s back end. In the front, rubble and destroyed garage doors stood next to more than a dozen burned-out cars clunked together in the parking lot.
CALIFORNIA RELYING ON PRISONERS, MEXICO TO PROVIDE FIREFGHTERS TO BATTLE LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES
About two minutes away, a slightly burnt purple and white cross stood atop a rectangular sign structure. It was all that remained of the Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center. A bus affiliated with the center was seemingly left behind in the parking lot, covered in dust and ash. “Jesus is your lifeline,” read the decal on the side.
The Altadena True Value Hardware store was also a heap of burnt remains and twisted metal. More than a half dozen burnt paint cans remained at the bottom of what once was a multi-tiered shelf, and a sign at the top of the building hung down, melted over the side.
Some homes were completely destroyed by the blaze, with only a brick chimney to signify what remained, while others appeared to be unscathed. Carciofi Design, a paper boutique and studio on the corner of East Mariposa Street and Lake Avenue, seemed untouched by the fire. A little further down, a print-and-copy store also showed signs of life, with a simple “closed” sign on the front door.
A mailbox, a watering can and a child’s tricycle littered the fronts of a few structures – a reminder of what had been before the Eaton Fire ripped through.
Cars left behind were reduced to metal. Some of them got so hot the rims of the tire melted, leaving a silver trail of liquid on the asphalt.
At least 16 people have died from the Eaton Fire as of Sunday, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday 23 people have been reported missing in the wildfires; 17 from the Eaton fire, and six from the Palisades fire.
At the bottom of North Lake Avenue, a crowd of people wearing N95 masks walked regularly across the intersection to donate supplies and hand out bottled water to people impacted by the fire.
The damage is estimated to cost tens of billions of dollars. LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Altadena, told the Los Angeles Times the community will move forward in the wake of such devastation.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“We’re going to rebuild, she said. “We’re ready to move mountains.”
“All levels of government need to help people rebuild, and fast,” Barger added.
Ashley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.
