As wildfires continue to rage across the Los Angeles area of California for the eighth day in a row, evacuees from some areas are being allowed to tour the areas where their homes once were and see what’s left of them.
Erika McMahon is one of them. Her home in Eaton, in East Los Angeles, has been reduced to ashes.
They’ve always been aware of the dangers of wildfires because they live in a mountainous region.
“In the 36 years I’ve lived here, we’ve been evacuated three or four times. But this is unlike anything we’ve ever faced,” she added.
Shauna McMahon, who grew up in Altadena, which includes Eaton, was devastated when she saw what was left of her mother’s house.
“I feel like I’m trapped in a bad dream and I can’t wake up. It’s like our whole life has been reduced to ashes,” she said.
Brian McMahon, who came to help his mother, said there had been evacuations before, but they had never experienced anything like the one on January 8.
“I woke up a little before 8 a.m. and thought, ‘Why is it so dark? I looked outside and saw smoke,'” he said.
More than 150,000 residents have been evacuated, and 87,000 are in warning zones awaiting evacuation.
More than 12,000 homes and businesses have burned to the ground, and wildfires have so far scorched more than 60 square miles.
At least 24 people have died, AA writes.
