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A year after devastating wildfires ravaged Los Angeles, destroying neighborhoods and displacing thousands, one of its most affluent areas remains deserted as a new wave of trauma unfolds.
Once a haven for Hollywood's elite, the streets are now dotted with "For Sale" signs.
Pacific Palisades Before the fireCredit: Alamy
Scorched homes along the Palisades section of the Pacific Coast HighwayCredit: Getty
Cleared lots and rebuilding in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los AngelesCredit: AP
It has been a year filled with heartbreak and anxiety since the ferocious wildfires destroyed 7,000 homes, including those belonging to celebrities like Anna Faris and Miles Teller, claimed numerous lives, and displaced nearly 100,000 residents.
The estimated cost of the devastation reached $28 billion (£18 billion).
Rebuilding will require years as corporate construction continues throughout the deserted lots of this ghost town.
For stars such as Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, and John Goodman, their properties remain in ruins, with no signs of reconstruction yet underway.
The charred remains of an estate stand behind makeshift plywood fencing.
Sir Anthony, 88, purchased the two adjacent lots in 2018 and 2019 for a total of $12.6 million.
The estate was valued at just $6.4 million when it was listed for sale last year, with both plots now attracting interest from developers, according to the Daily Mail .
In other parts of the neighborhood, there are claims that land has been acquired by Chinese-backed corporations seeking a foothold in one of America's most desirable locations.
Meanwhile, the state's insurer, known as the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, has faced scrutiny for years over its handling of fire damage claims.
He has pleaded not guilty.
A congressional investigation into the failures that allowed the inferno to spread uncontrollably has been initiated.
The Palisades fire ignited on January 6, 2024, and lasted for three weeks.
Grass and brush had become extremely dry after months of little to no rain.
Firefighting resources were pre-positioned in areas identified as having an especially high risk for fires.
At 10:30 a.m., reports began to emerge about a small blaze on a ridge in LA's upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, in the same area where crews had responded to a previous fire on New Year's Day.
Before long, a large plume of dark smoke was visible from miles away.
Shortly after 11 a.m., the fire was reported to cover approximately 10 acres, located near Palisades Drive on the western edge of the coastal neighborhood.
Over the next two hours, roads were congested with drivers attempting to escape as flames surged down the streets and destroyed homes.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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