"We've lived here almost 30 years, so it's devastating. I mean, you know, we lived right down there, and for some reason, the garage is standing, but the house is gone," said Palisades resident Denise Desanis.
Desanis says her family evacuated in a hurry not expecting the worst. She's one of many residents returning to ashes that used to be homes.
"That's Tiger. And, she would be home alone while we flew back from Idaho," explains Palisades resident John Kohl while showing a photo of his cat.
Kohl was out of town for the week but unexpectedly flew home two days early and that stroke of luck saved Tiger's life.
"House is gone but everybody’s safe…count your blessings," said Kohl.
The Pacific Palisades fire started on Tuesday morning, whipping through neighborhoods and downtown, destroying gas stations, a shopping mall, and a grocery.
"Never in 20 years have I seen anything like this," said John Safier.
At an intersection, just a couple blocks from the town center, every single street was completely burned to the ground.
"I didn't really think that, like yesterday when I was just, like packing the car that, like, I wouldn't be able to even get back the next day. So yeah, it's rough," said resident Josh Daneshard.
The high school and Palisades Playhouse were also destroyed in the fire in Pacific Palisades.
"All these were our friends. These houses were brand new. You know, we know all the neighbors. And, we're just so sad for our community," said Desanis.
