Charred skeletons of beloved homes. Desperate homeowners endangering their lives as they hose down their burning roofs. Emergency workers carefully carrying a body bag out of the rubble. An American flag in blackened tatters.

The images arriving in the wake of the wind-driven wildfires in Los Angeles County are haunting, giving all of us a window into the pain, grief and devastation facing hundreds of thousands of people.

CalMatters contributing photographers Ted Soqui and Jules Hotz were dispatched to Pacific Palisades and Malibu, along the Los Angeles coast, and Altadena, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, to chronicle the impact of one of the worst disasters in California history.

As of Sunday, an estimated 12,000 houses, businesses, schools and other structures have been damaged or destroyed, at least 24 people have died and about 150,000 people were ordered or warned to evacuate.

The Eaton Fire burns in the community of Altadena. Because of overwhelming demand, firefighters were unable to get water from hydrants that ran dry, as homes and businesses burned, on Jan. 8, 2025. Photos by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

People fleeing the fire carry their belongings as they evacuate their homes during the Palisades Fire, near Sunset Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway, on Jan. 7, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

First: Super Scooper firefighting aircraft load up with water off the coast of Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2025. Last: Firefighters attempt to put out a fire at a home in Altadena, on Jan. 8, 2025. The community was devastated by the Eaton Fire. Photos by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

A person uses a hose to spray water on the flames of a house to prevent the Eaton Fire from spreading to more homes in Pasadena on Jan. 8, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters

Burned homes smolder in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire on Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu, on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

First: A burned and tattered American flag waves on a flagpole after the Palisades Fire on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters Last: A fireplace remains standing after a home was burned down by the Eaton Fire in Altadena on Jan. 8, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters

Firefighters work to put out a fire in the rubble of a home that burned on Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu, as a result of the Palisades Fire. Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

First: Smoke from the Eaton Fire and surrounding wildfires fills the air around downtown Los Angeles. Last: A vivid sunset as smoke from the Palisades Fire fills the sky in Santa Monica. Jan. 9, 2025. Photos by Jules Hotz for CalMatters

Emergency crews remove a body from a burned home off Pacific Coast Highway, near Pacific Palisades, on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

Two people survey the damage of their home that was burned to the ground in an Altadena neighborhood during the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters

###

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.