Totress Beasley was one of thousands of Californians who had to evacuate their homes as the flames approached, and came back to find everything they owned destroyed. Beasley told KTLA that amid the tragedy, she and and her son are struggling to find a place to stay because criminal landlords are jacking up rents to take advantage of the crisis. Price gouging in the wake of a disaster is illegal in California. Beasley shared devastating footage of her home being destroyed by flames.
Totress Beasley, 64, paid off her mortgage just weeks before the Los Angeles fires destroyed it on January 8. It was where we shared meals, laughter, and love with those who walked through our doors.
Staggered after one of the most destructive natural disasters in Southern California history, thousands of heartbroken families, burned-out business owners and beleaguered leaders across Los Angeles County are beginning to ponder another monumental task: rebuilding what was lost and charting a path forward. The traumatized region made it through Wednesday without another major fire breaking out, after forecasters had warned of another round of particularly dangerous winds.
Yet even with flames still leaping in two of the largest fires , which have killed 25 and destroyed more than 12, structures, government officials talked Wednesday of the epic job that will unspool over years.
They must clear Altadena, Pacific Palisades and other ravaged communities of toxic ash and debris, then rebuild homes, restaurants, schools, boutiques, banks and houses of worship. And financing for this mammoth task remains uncertain. The home is seen after the fire was put out. The home is seen before it was destroyed.
