Los Angeles, California – Bill Threadgill dug out copper pipes from the rubble of his Altadena, Calif., home where he had lived for 15 years and set them aside for sale.

Only his chimney and two porch pillars were still standing, but nothing else. A wildfire razed the entire building to the ground.

Even before the fires swept through the area, his family was struggling to make ends meet. “We’re stretched thin financially,” said Threadgill, a handyman and caregiver wearing an N95 mask.

On January 7, the Eaton Fire broke out in nearby mountains, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. The fires, driven by hurricane-force winds, damaged or destroyed more than 5,700 structures and killed at least 16 people.

It's one of a series of fires that have broken out in the Los Angeles area over the past week and a half, fueled by climate change. In total, nearly 12,000 buildings were burned and 25 people died.

The fire could become one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, with experts estimating losses at $250 billion.

While millions of dollars' worth of homes were destroyed in affluent areas of Pacific Palisades, the working-class neighborhoods of Altadena were also devastated.

Some victims were elderly or disabled and unable to escape. Threadgill himself lives with and cares for a 73-year-old friend, whom he considers family. She was in short-term rehabilitation at the time of the fire. She is homeless.

As he walks through the ruins, he searches for Catra, his calico cat. "I wanted her to get out because I left a back door for her to get out," he said.

He looked at where his front door used to be. "Would never come in here like this again. Never again," Thregiel said. "Being uprooted unexpectedly. It's devastating."

home near mountains

Nestled near the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena is a proud African American and immigrant community. Of the 42,000 residents, 58% are people of color.

The community began to form in the 1960s. As part of the Great Migration, large numbers of black families left the American South and moved westward. Altadena was one of the few communities in the area where African Americans could obtain home loans at the time.

Over the years, prominent black artists have settled in the neighborhood, including Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier and acclaimed science fiction author Octavia Butler.

Butler, who is buried in nearby Mountain View Cemetery, wrote a novel called "Parable of the Sower," which is set in Los Angeles against the backdrop of raging wildfires — something locals and fans of the book are concerned about during the current crisis. Zhong compares it to this.

Today, 18 percent of Altadena residents are black, a significantly higher percentage than in neighboring Pasadena.

A red flag warning was issued for the community on Jan. 7, signaling conditions were perfect for a fire.

The weather is very warm. Vegetation is unusually dry. The wind was blowing hard in Santa Ana.

That day, as the Eaton Fire ignited in the mountains, Thregiel felt relieved. "I'm 100 percent (certain) that the fire on the mountain won't reach here," he said.

Then the wind picked up, blowing the fire toward his home. He could feel the heat of the fire as he gathered bags of items and loaded them into his truck.

"As I was walking down the street, there were embers underneath my feet, so I literally had to run. The rest is history. It was on fire," he said.

Elisa Gonzalez and her husband were returning home from vacation on a street from Threadgill on Jan. 7 as thick smoke hung over the city. They started packing, but when the wind picked up, they repacked and evacuated.

When they returned the next day, they found the house next door had burned down. Embers still smolder nearby.

But Gonzalez noticed several community members in her backyard, spraying water on her house. She credits them with saving her home.

"It's amazing. I can't believe people in the neighborhood are doing everything they can to save what's left of the building," she said.

Thredgill was among those who flooded the street with hoses after losing their own home. "I'm doing whatever I can to help," he said.

While it's unclear what caused the Eaton Fire, some residents who lost their homes are suing Southern California Edison, claiming the utility's electrical equipment started the blaze.

They also claim it was negligent to run power through the utility company's power lines during the red flag warning.

"It's really frustrating for me to know that this could have been an oversight on their part," Gonzalez said. "It's very frustrating to me and I think it could have been avoided."

rebuild the future

Despite the damage, Gonzalez emphasized her gratitude for her neighbors.

"This community is amazing. The community saved our house," Gonzalez said.

As she spoke, two women wearing N95 masks stopped to offer her food. They explained that they lived nearby and wanted to help.

"It's been like this all week," Gonzalez explained as he took the soup, sandwich and pasta.

Mutual aid activities are taking place across Altadena. On the Wednesday after the fire, day workers at the nearby Pasadena Community Employment Center put out an appeal for supplies.

Hundreds of volunteers were on hand to distribute donations to wildfire victims and clean up debris.

On Sunday, Doungdao Riccardi, a chef at a popular Thai restaurant in Altadena, went to the job center to stock up on food to take home. Her restaurant is located in an evacuation zone and has been closed to the public.

Riccardi said she doesn't know how long the restaurant will be closed. "I feel sorry for everyone."

Her husband recently had two surgeries - open heart surgery and eye surgery - and is currently unable to work. Before the fire, she was their sole breadwinner. Now her paycheck has disappeared.

In 1993, Riccardi immigrated to the United States from Thailand. The following year, she lived through the Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles. While the experience was horrific, she said the fire made her even more uneasy.

"I had a hard time sleeping because it hit me so hard. I'd never seen anything like it. This fire really shook me up," she said.

Riccardi is eligible for unemployment benefits and plans to apply this week. “I hope we can reopen again,” she said of the restaurant.

She added that her boss "will try to reopen, but no one can go there. It will take time."

As for Threadgill, he wants to rebuild his home on the same site. "We definitely want to do this, definitely want to rebuild." His daughter has launched an online fundraiser to help him.

"I don't want to leave here. Altadena is great," he said.