Ten days after unprecedented blazes broke out in Los Angeles, the Eaton and Palisade fires destroyed nearly 40,000 acres of homes, businesses and landmarks in the Altadena and Pacific Palisades areas and killed at least two dozen people.

The two fires now rank among the ten most destructive fires in California history. The most expensive in U.S. history. Firefighters have yet to fully control the blaze. As of Wednesday evening, Eaton fire 45% contained. The Palisades Fire is 21% contained.

Aerial surveys estimate more than 7,000 structures were destroyed in the Eaton Fire and more than 5,000 structures were destroyed in the Palisade Fire, according to Cal Fire.

On site, dozens of teams were assessing the damage, building by building. Everything over 120 square feet is included in their report. So far, there are about 50percentage of structure The area within the Eaton fire alarm range has been inspected, and 35% of buildings In the Palisades.

The maps track buildings that have so far been classified as destroyed or damaged. They will be updated regularly as officials complete their work.

Most of the affected buildings are single-family homes. In Altadena, community facilities such as Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center and St. Mark's Anglican Church Burned to the ground. Coastal landmarks in Palisades and Malibu — Real Inn and Thai Cholada Hotel -- engulfed in flames. The school was destroyed.

Eaton Fire

On the evening of Jan. 7, residents of Altadena and Pasadena saw distant flames in Eaton Canyon, an area known for horseback riding, hiking trails, streams and wildlife. Earliest reports suggested the fire was modest, but it grew dramatically amid hurricane-force wind conditions, eventually engulfing more than 14,000 acres and spreading into communities, destroying thousands of structures and killing at least 16 people life.

The power outage left much of the region in darkness. Tens of thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate. As strong winds intensified, some people stayed to put out flames on their roofs, while others fled their homes, emerging from their homes amid flying debris without traffic lights. Residents of the nursing home were rushed to safety.

As of 3 a.m., the fire had spread from east to west. Embers rained down as more residents fled and the streets burned behind them.

The next morning, many people returned to find their homes collapsed or on fire. In desperation, they sprayed flames with hoses and tried to stop embers from flying again as fire trucks were sparse. Those lucky enough to own homes suffer from survivor's guilt, wondering why their homes have survived while others have not.

In Altadena, 60-year-old Maral Nazarian watched in tears as the remains of her house burned to the ground. She grew up in a rural town; this disaster is incomprehensible.

"We didn't expect this. We thought we were far enough away from the mountain," she said in disbelief.

Altadena is located above Pasadena, nestled at the foot of the mountains. But it is not considered a traditional mountain town.

The fire alarmed long-term residents, spreading so far south that many residents who lived and worked in the community were No home or income. almost 42,000 people Live in a predominantly working-class neighborhood.

It destroyed the area's first major commercial strip on North Lake Avenue, demolishing long-time fixtures like Altadena Hardware and Fox's; Steve's Pets and Ranch. It destroyed an Aldi grocery store, a nearby school and a church. Farther north, the buildings of historic Charles S. Farnsworth Park are gone.

Less than two miles west of North Fair Oak Avenue, the fire destroyed more Altadena staples, including the beloved Little Hen Coffee Shop and new community favorite Pizza of Venice.

Farther east, a historic Pasadena synagogue was razed.

The fire left a trail of disaster in and around it. In some areas, it destroyed entire neighborhoods.

Gonzalo M., 53, drove three days from Arizona to his home in Altadena, where he grew up and where his mother still lives. His mother was evacuated by neighbors and is safe. But the house he had known all his life and the other houses on the street were destroyed.

As brush fires intensified in California in recent years, a fire hydrant was installed on the corner of his block. Gonzalo didn't know if it had been used or if the water had been used up.

"It's devastating," he said. "You work so hard for all of this. It's horrible."

By January 9, much of the region was under lockdown. The National Guard and law enforcement were stationed at most entrances to the community, which was downed with power lines and trees and littered with debris and ash.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire. The area surrounding Southern California Edison Eaton Canyon Transmission Tower became a focus of their inquiries.

Thousands of people remain under evacuation orders.

Residents found shelter at the Pasadena Convention Center, in hotels and on the couches of friends and family. But they remain displaced, unsure when they will be able to return to their homes, sort out what remains of the land, or have their worst fears confirmed: that their houses are gone.

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The Palisades Fire started at 10:30 a.m. on January 7. In two days of strong Santa Ana winds, the fire grew to more than 17,000 acres, burning much of Pacific Palisades — a largely affluent community that also More than 21,000 people - and the Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Malibu.

Officials are investigating whether the fire started skull rockA fire started by fireworks reignited on New Year's Eve just north of Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades.

Tatiana Prophet, who lives with her 10-year-old son, Everest, in an apartment along Sunset Boulevard, received a text message from a friend saying Pally The fire broke out on Palisades Drive, which runs between her home and Everest School, not far from the coast.

Prophet was painfully aware of the Palisades' fire history, and he was immediately concerned. Then came an even more ominous warning: the landline rang. Recorded evacuation message.

Prophet hurriedly closed the door behind her—she didn't have her keys, her phone, or Everest's beloved iPad.

The area's main evacuation routes quickly came to a standstill as entire neighborhoods in the Palisades were evacuated.

Prophet's progress toward PCH was excruciatingly slow and he eventually got stuck at an intersection just a quarter mile from the school.

"Then I saw the flames," said the Prophet. "They were huge and burning out of control."

The fire spread almost along evacuation routes from the mountains to the coast. The Prophet pulled his car into the opposite lane and parked it on the shoulder.

"I didn't even get my wallet," she said. "I just started running."

The fire quickly spread into flammable invasive brush in the Santa Monica Mountains. The fire began rapidly engulfing the shoreline and in both directions along the Pacific Coast Highway.

The next day, the fire covered much of the road east of Malibu from Will Rogers State Beach to Carbon Beach. Burning utility poles blocked driveways, and black soot was blown across sidewalks by howling winds. Firefighters told Malibu residents that the massive fuel outage left by December's Franklin Fire helped stop the fire from spreading westward.

But the vast tracts of housing and restaurants on the highway Already gone.

landmark Properties such as Will Rogers' Western-style Palisades home and the Theater Palisades were destroyed in the fire. iconic restaurant Like the Reel Inn, Cholada Thai and Moonshadows faced destruction.

"It's so sad," said a longtime PCH resident who frequented the Reel Inn and Cholada Thai and sneaked into the evacuation zone Wednesday to survey the damage. "It feels a little lonely, right?"

religious institutions Pacific Palisades Community United Methodist Church, Corpus Christi Church, Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church and St. Matthew Parish School were among those razed. Palisades Charter High School also burned.

Castellammare and the end of Sunset Boulevard and Palisades Drive are some of the only areas where the Palisades Fire did not reach the coast. nearby Getty Villa Extensive measures were taken to put out the fireThis included extensive brush clearing, assistance from on-site emergency crews and aerial firefighting crews.

Sunset Boulevard and Palisades Drive were critical evacuation routes and received heavy police and fire attention on Jan. 8 and 9.

Palisades Village, an outdoor mall owned by billionaire Rick Caruso, still stands in ruins. this YMCA and Palisade Charter Elementary School and Marquez Charter Elementary School The school was burned down.

The community of Prophet along Sunset was one of the hardest hit. Her home still has a Christmas tree, but it didn't survive.

Now she sees an irony in local proverbs about the community. "You know, they always say, 'The rich live in Beverly Hills, the famous live in Malibu, and the lucky live in the Palisade,'" she said.