After authorities reopened parts of Altadena for the first time since the Eaton fire, residents returned to a grim checkerboard of destroyed homes next to others that were largely spared.

The recent fires that ravaged Altadena, California, have left a trail of destruction in a community with deep roots and a rich history.

Henry County resident Myra Rudd said that the wildfires in California destroyed several family member's homes.

For many African Americans who built their lives and businesses in historically Black communities like Altadena, the combined loss of generational wealth and personal heirlooms is indescribable.

Defiant and armed Los Angeles homeowners in the scorched Altadena community have taken to the streets to defend the homes that remain standing — even if those streets have been blocked off by a police line amid evacuation orders and raging wildfires, residents say.

Altadena stands out with over 80% Black homeownership—double the national average. This community’s roots trace back to the Great Migration of the 1930s, when Black families sought refuge from systemic oppression.

As they rebuild, residents of the middle-class enclave could face steep price hikes. Randy and Miki Quinton held hands as they walked uphill into what remains of their neighborhood in Altadena, the unincorporated Los Angeles suburb where they had lived for more than 20 years.

Clayton County Commissioner DeMont Davis is one of the residents who has ties to California and has family affected by the wildfires.

ALTADENA, Calif. — Atlanta Falcons player Avery Williams lost his childhood home in the wildfires raging in California this week. Williams shared the news on the X platform on Jan. 9.

The Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed or damaged several locations that have been used to make movies and TV shows.

Major fires across Los Angeles this week have killed at least five people, forced 180,000 to flee their homes, and destroyed thousands of structures.

ALTADENA, Calif. — Atlanta Falcons player Avery Williams lost his childhood home in the wildfires raging in California this week. Williams shared the news on the X platform on Jan. 9.