The official response to the fires seemed awkward, but we did what we could for one another, even as our neighbors said, “The home I loved is never coming back.”

Dozens of people are believed to have died in the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have burned down whole swaths of communities

Marialyce Pedersen stood in a white Tyvek suit on her Altadena, California, lot leveled by this month's wildfires. Her house was reduced to ash that spilled into the pool, turning the water a toxic black.

Overall, the Southern California fires have killed ... discrimination in the Jim Crow South. “Altadena was one of the initial neighborhoods in Los Angeles County that allowed Black families ...

The recent wildfires have left Los Angeles -- the second-largest city in the United States and home to the country's rich and famous -- in rubble.

Amongst the thousands of acres set aflame by the Los Angeles wildfires, Altadena, a historically Black neighborhood, is left incinerated.

Here is the view from live cameras in the Los Angeles area, from Pacific Palisades to Altadena to the Hollywood Hills, showing wildfires scorching acre after acre.

A "Rebuild Altadena" tote from Kikay. A "Palisades Strong" hat from Only the Lonely. A "Love L.A." graphic T-shirt from the Hundreds. Rep and help the community with limited edition merch.

The demands of a restaurant were never-ending, and Rena would arrive at dawn to start rolling out the biscuits. The original clientele was racially diverse and stuck around for the roast beef, Salisbury steak, sweet potato pie and banana splits.

In Altadena, many fear that offers from speculators and the challenges of rebuilding will unravel a community of Black professionals and retirees.