From a smoky sky, as we descend the famous coast of Malibu, west of Los Angeles, the homes destroyed by the flames initially appear to be an exception. Some end up burning between rows of sumptuous villas, intact, with sea views.
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But the closer we get to the upscale neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, ravaged by a devastating fire, the more numerous these smoking ruins become. The sporadic clusters of destroyed housing give way to entire streets of houses razed by the flames.
The fire, the largest of all those raging in the Los Angeles region, has already devoured some 7,700 hectares of Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
An initial estimate shows “thousands” of structures destroyed, according to fire chief Kristin Crowley, who spoke at a press conference on Thursday.
Authorities have not yet confirmed or denied reports of the discovery, on at least two occasions, of human remains at the scene of the fire.
“It is safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in Los Angeles history,” Crowley said.
«From foil»
Access to this area has been mostly closed to the public and even evacuated residents since Tuesday, when the fire broke out. AFP journalists were able to fly over it on Thursday aboard a helicopter and observe these scenes of devastation.
On some of these particularly coveted Malibu estates, popular with celebrities, the bones of once sumptuous buildings remain, hinting at the extent of the damage inflicted by the flames.
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AFP
Some mansions worth millions of dollars have simply disappeared entirely.
Dominating Malibu and its luxurious seaside properties, Pacific Palisades now appears deserted.
Certainly, some residences appear unscathed, streets were also completely spared. But the closer you get to the south of Palisades, the more streets once made up of splendid residences no longer resemble makeshift cemeteries.
Where old family houses stood, street after street, all that remains are chimneys, stumps blackened by flames and charred wood.
At a press conference Thursday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman described his trek through Pacific Palisades, searching for his own sister’s house, as “apocalyptic.”
“I haven’t seen a disaster like this happen here in our city since the 1990s, when Los Angeles was hit by fires, floods, earthquakes and riots,” he said.
“It’s madness,” adds Albert Azouz, a helicopter pilot who has been flying over the scene for nearly a decade, as he observes the extent of the destruction from the sky. “All these houses, gone.”
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