Pacific Palisades, the posh locality of Los Angeles in United States’ California, has been one of the worst hit by the raging wildfires that have charred scores of expensive structures that once existed over thousands of acres of land that the blazes have spread to since Tuesday.
Before the wildfires, deemed worst in the history of US, the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood on Los Angeles’ west side was dotted with plush residences, some of which were owned by celebrities, fronted by green, well-tended landscaping and popular boutiques and cafes. Follow Los Angeles wildfires live updates
A video shared by news agency Reuters capturing the before and after of wildfire-hit Pacific Palisades, shows the streets that once looked picturesque now looking like they were bombed.
Pacific Palisades before and after | WATCH
In May 2024, when the original video was recorded under a California blue sky, a white building with ionic columns on Sunset Boulevard at the Palisades Village shopping complex housed a Starbucks and Cafe Vida, according to the Reuters report.
The white building is now gutted, darkened with soot, the palm trees outside totally stripped off their greenery with the backdrop of a hazy and yellowed sky.
Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Pasadena are among the areas of Los Angeles the wildfires have affected the most.
The Palisades Fire has spread over more than 20,000 acres since breaking out on Tuesday and was only 11 per cent contained by Saturday, and the Palisades neighborhood remains a mandatory evacuation zone.
Other fires, some nearly as big, are ravaging other parts of Los Angeles and neighboring towns and have so far killed at least 16 people, with the toll expected to increase as crews carry out rescue and relief operations.
The Palisades was almost devoid of life on Friday, except a few Los Angeles firefighters seen at places, and a few ravens watching from a road before scattering.
Outside one house, everything melted except the steel frame of a wheelchair that was once sat on the sidewalk.
The series of fires that started spreading on Tuesday continue to ravage southern California, leaving a trail of devastation across the Los Angeles area, which is home to America’s film industry.
Thousands of structures, included houses belonging to Hollywood celebrities, have been reduced to ashes in the rapidly spreading fires for which dry and strong ‘Santa Ana’ winds have been cited as one of the main reasons.
