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| Pearls, a power saw and a lawnmower toy: What LA fire survivors went back for | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Peter Mitchell built the furniture and cabinets in his home from scratch - now they're gone | Peter Mitchell built the furniture and cabinets in his home from scratch - now they're gone |
| For thousands of residents of Los Angeles, the fires took almost everything they had. | For thousands of residents of Los Angeles, the fires took almost everything they had. |
| At least 10 people are dead, and thousands of homes destroyed, after five days of burning. | At least 10 people are dead, and thousands of homes destroyed, after five days of burning. |
| But as the embers cooled, some residents of Altadena, which was ravaged by the Eaton Fire, returned to see what remained: An artifact from their lives before this disaster. From the rubble, many found small trinkets that brought them smiles and, occasionally, a moment of joy amid the hellish ordeal. | But as the embers cooled, some residents of Altadena, which was ravaged by the Eaton Fire, returned to see what remained: An artifact from their lives before this disaster. From the rubble, many found small trinkets that brought them smiles and, occasionally, a moment of joy amid the hellish ordeal. |
| This is what they found. | This is what they found. |
| Follow live updates as fierce winds threaten more fire destruction | Follow live updates as fierce winds threaten more fire destruction |
| Watch: Man films escape from fires with elderly father-in-law | Watch: Man films escape from fires with elderly father-in-law |
| What's the latest on the LA fires, and why can't they be put out? | What's the latest on the LA fires, and why can't they be put out? |
| Maps and images reveal scale of wildfire devastation | Maps and images reveal scale of wildfire devastation |
| A toy lawnmower: Henry Giles | A toy lawnmower: Henry Giles |
| Henry Giles hid his toys in the bushes, hoping they'd be safe | Henry Giles hid his toys in the bushes, hoping they'd be safe |
| When Henry Giles, age six, returned to his home in Altadena with his parents, he knew exactly where to look. | When Henry Giles, age six, returned to his home in Altadena with his parents, he knew exactly where to look. |
| The front gate and wall on the property is all that has survived untouched, with intact mail still in the letter box. Behind it, two burned out cars sit in the driveway, and in the back a swing set is destroyed. But tucked into some bushes was a bucket and a toy lawn mower. | The front gate and wall on the property is all that has survived untouched, with intact mail still in the letter box. Behind it, two burned out cars sit in the driveway, and in the back a swing set is destroyed. But tucked into some bushes was a bucket and a toy lawn mower. |
| "Mommy look, they survived! We hid them in the bushes because we knew there would be a fire!" Henry excitedly yelled | "Mommy look, they survived! We hid them in the bushes because we knew there would be a fire!" Henry excitedly yelled |
| Henry and his brother Lucas inspected the remaining plants: "This one survived! This didn't. Our tomato plant is dead." | Henry and his brother Lucas inspected the remaining plants: "This one survived! This didn't. Our tomato plant is dead." |
| Few other treasures survived. Henry's family had packed light, not wanting to overload their car in case they had to sleep in it. Just a few essentials and the family dogs. | Few other treasures survived. Henry's family had packed light, not wanting to overload their car in case they had to sleep in it. Just a few essentials and the family dogs. |
| "Henry was sad. He got a new 3D printer and it was destroyed. He asked me why I didn't take it and I said because we could only grab stuff that was important. He said 'well it was important to me,'" his mother Deisy told the BBC. | "Henry was sad. He got a new 3D printer and it was destroyed. He asked me why I didn't take it and I said because we could only grab stuff that was important. He said 'well it was important to me,'" his mother Deisy told the BBC. |
| A page from a book: Deisy Suarez | A page from a book: Deisy Suarez |
| "That's my book," said Deisy, as she sifted throat the rubble of what was her dream home, a place she said she sacrificed a lot to buy. | "That's my book," said Deisy, as she sifted throat the rubble of what was her dream home, a place she said she sacrificed a lot to buy. |
| "This must have been on my nightstand. I read a lot of books on self growth and empowerment. This must be a divine message for me to keep going, I believe that," she added. | "This must have been on my nightstand. I read a lot of books on self growth and empowerment. This must be a divine message for me to keep going, I believe that," she added. |
| The wreckage of the home is still smoldering days later. Keith, her husband, wades in: "I'm looking at what's left of my kitchen." The family has lived in this house for three years. Keith is originally from England but has been in the US for 40 years. | The wreckage of the home is still smoldering days later. Keith, her husband, wades in: "I'm looking at what's left of my kitchen." The family has lived in this house for three years. Keith is originally from England but has been in the US for 40 years. |
| Deisy and Keith are sending Henry and Lucas to family in Florida while they figure out what to do. They've been staying in a hotel. Deisy said it's hard for them all to be separated, but it's what is best. | Deisy and Keith are sending Henry and Lucas to family in Florida while they figure out what to do. They've been staying in a hotel. Deisy said it's hard for them all to be separated, but it's what is best. |
| "After a week they get homesick and start crying 'I want to come back to California.' But they have no home to come back to. And I wanted them to see there was no home left so they understood." | "After a week they get homesick and start crying 'I want to come back to California.' But they have no home to come back to. And I wanted them to see there was no home left so they understood." |
| One bowl, one plate: Larry Villescas | One bowl, one plate: Larry Villescas |
| Larry Villecas holds a wedding gift from 25 years ago | Larry Villecas holds a wedding gift from 25 years ago |
| Larry Villescas, 52, was rummaging through what was left of his home. | Larry Villescas, 52, was rummaging through what was left of his home. |
| His wife and their three children scoured for anything that may have survived. They found a Christmas ornament, a Dr Suess book that was unscathed and something that nearly brought him to tears: | His wife and their three children scoured for anything that may have survived. They found a Christmas ornament, a Dr Suess book that was unscathed and something that nearly brought him to tears: |
| "We found a dish and a bowl that's part of a dish set that my great aunt gave us on our wedding day. It's lasted 24 years. We've been together 29 and we got married four years later, and so 24 years old that bowl and that plate, believe it or not." | "We found a dish and a bowl that's part of a dish set that my great aunt gave us on our wedding day. It's lasted 24 years. We've been together 29 and we got married four years later, and so 24 years old that bowl and that plate, believe it or not." |
| He added later... "There's barely anything here that survived. You can tell how hot it burned. Everything is basically gone, so the small things you do find become even more special." | He added later... "There's barely anything here that survived. You can tell how hot it burned. Everything is basically gone, so the small things you do find become even more special." |
| A shattered vase: Daron Anderson | A shattered vase: Daron Anderson |
| Daron Anderson holds up piece of pottery made by his mother | Daron Anderson holds up piece of pottery made by his mother |
| Daron Anderson stepped around the charred chunks of his roof that now sits where his patio once stood. | Daron Anderson stepped around the charred chunks of his roof that now sits where his patio once stood. |
| "Woah, there is some of my mom's pottery," he said. | "Woah, there is some of my mom's pottery," he said. |
| His mother stored some of the ceramic pots she made on the patio. | His mother stored some of the ceramic pots she made on the patio. |
| "If we find something that's intact, I can take it back to my mom. Everything is breaking," he said. | "If we find something that's intact, I can take it back to my mom. Everything is breaking," he said. |
| Each piece he grabbed seemed to disintegrate in his hands. Finally, he pulled a white and blue flowered vase from the pile of debris that stayed together. | Each piece he grabbed seemed to disintegrate in his hands. Finally, he pulled a white and blue flowered vase from the pile of debris that stayed together. |
| "Oh man, little crap like this. I know my mom will like it," he said. "It's small, but it's something." | "Oh man, little crap like this. I know my mom will like it," he said. "It's small, but it's something." |
| A saw and two pearls: Peter Mitchell and Tavia Weinmann | A saw and two pearls: Peter Mitchell and Tavia Weinmann |
| When the fires destroyed Peter Mitchell's home, it took his handy-work with it. | When the fires destroyed Peter Mitchell's home, it took his handy-work with it. |
| "It was all lined with cabinets and various pieces of furniture," he told the BBC. | "It was all lined with cabinets and various pieces of furniture," he told the BBC. |
| "It was gone. There was stuff I built in the house, just little things, you know?.. I didn't do a profession. I did it because I really enjoyed it." | "It was gone. There was stuff I built in the house, just little things, you know?.. I didn't do a profession. I did it because I really enjoyed it." |
| Searching through the remnants of his old tools - from a power saw to antique hand tools - Mr Michell said material things can be replaced. | Searching through the remnants of his old tools - from a power saw to antique hand tools - Mr Michell said material things can be replaced. |
| "I can get another one of these. So I mean, as much as I love this saw and I spent hours making cool stuff on it. It can be replaced. It's it's now in Valhalla." | "I can get another one of these. So I mean, as much as I love this saw and I spent hours making cool stuff on it. It can be replaced. It's it's now in Valhalla." |
| Nearby, his neighbour Tavia Weinmann sifted through charred coins to find two pearls belonging to her mother's necklace. | Nearby, his neighbour Tavia Weinmann sifted through charred coins to find two pearls belonging to her mother's necklace. |
| With reporting in Los Angeles from Christal Heyes, Kelly Chase, Helena Humphrey and John Sudworth | With reporting in Los Angeles from Christal Heyes, Kelly Chase, Helena Humphrey and John Sudworth |