Wildfires in Palisades and Altadena upended life for many residents. A year later, the community’s strength keeps them going
As Seen in CNN | Jan 7, 2026
By Taylor Romine
Parched soil crunched under Jessica Rogers’ boots as she crossed the empty lot overlooking Palisades’ Stadium By the Sea. She sprayed her hose toward a cluster of leafy bushes growing at the base of a blackened tree.
The home that once stood on the plot of land was consumed in the deadly heat of the Palisades Fire, leaving only twisted metal and broken glass. But months of daily watering have helped Rogers step off a recurrent emotional seesaw onto solid ground as the roots hidden beneath the fire-ravaged soil have sprouted new life.
A year ago, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire wiped out entire neighborhoods of Los Angeles, forever changing the lives of Angelenos in and outside the fire zones. The fires rank as two of the three most destructive in California’s history, killing at least 31 people, decimating more than 16,000 structures and leaving thousands of residents to sift through the ruins.