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Climate & Environment

Beloved places we’ve lost: Tracking LA fire destruction

Flames from a fire come out of a building
Will Rogers’ former ranch house has been destroyed
(
Courtesy California State Parks
)

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Wildfires have ravaged Los Angeles County, and we’re learning more about the memorable places we’ve lost.

More than 15,000 places have been destroyed, according to L.A. County officials. Along with the thousands of homes, places of worship and stores have also burned down.

Through statements from public officials, owners, coverage from our media partners, and verifiable posts on social media, we've been able to put together an initial list of what's been lost.

For iconic restaurants, view our list here. For historic and cultural sites of importance, the L.A. Conservancy is also tracking losses between the Palisades and Eaton Fires, such as destroyed schools and iconic estates. As of Jan 22, they'd listed more than 50 sites.

More news

The McNally House

A wide view of a historic Queen Anne style multi-story house on fire under a dark and smokey sky with palm trees in front.
The Andrew McNally House, a historical landmark, burns during the Eaton Fire
(
Robyn Beck
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
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Altadena's historic McNally House burned. It was the home of Andrew McNally, a co-founder of the Rand McNally map publishing company, who built it in 1887. The home was designed with a late Victorian, Queen Anne-style and was part of the National Register of Historic Places.

Altadena Hardware

A firefighter hoses down the frame of a brick structure that has mostly burned down. There's a green sign hanging at the entrance that reads "Altadena Hardware."
A firefighter extinguishes the remains of an Altadena hardware store destroyed in the Eaton fire
(
Robyn Beck
/
AFP via Getty Images
)

The much-loved hardware store and plant nursery has been part of the Altadena community for more than 80 years. On Jan. 8, images showed the business and adjacent stores, which included a bike shop and restaurant, burned down to its facade. It’s part of a string of fiery destruction around Lake Avenue that includes pizza joint Side Pie, according to LAist host Antonia Cereijido, who drove around the area.

Altadena Community Church

The progressive church is another staple that’s been around for more than eight decades. LAist producer Libby Rainey went to see it and said the building is destroyed. The damage comes as other faith leaders in Altadena, at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, shared on Facebook that their church building was lost.

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Altadena Senior Center

Fires engulfed the senior center, “burning it to the ground” according to our partners at CBS Los Angeles. The center opened in 1982 to care for older people in Altadena, La Crescenta, and East Pasadena unincorporated areas.

The Bunny Museum

The iconic and quirky museum in Altadena burned to the ground, owners said on Instagram. The Bunny Museum housed around 46,000 bunny objects — like rabbit antiques, cookie jars and even bunnies from Rose Parade floats. It opened in 1998 and held the Guinness World Record for largest collection of rabbit-related items.

Masjid Al Taqwa

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Early on during the Eaton Fire, videos circulated online showing the first mosque in the Altadena-Pasadena area, Masjid Al-Taqwa, and surrounding businesses destroyed. The building served the local Muslim community for 30 years and was recently renovated, according to the mosque’s website. You can learn more about how its leaders are planning to rebuild here.

Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center

The entire campus of the Jewish synagogue has been lost, Rabbi Jill Gold Wright confirmed to LAist. All Torah scrolls from the sanctuary, chapel, and classrooms were removed. The Temple is another community staple that was around for more than 80 years.

Public Displays of Altadena

The beloved 35-seat micro-theater is gone. Its owners posted a video to Instagram showing the building engulfed in flames, saying they’re “at a total loss for words.” The strip-mall location boasted comedy shows, clown events, live theater and more.

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Topanga Ranch Motel

A collage of three images of an outdoor motel. The top and right images show the location where the small motel burned down an orange-hued scene. A third image shows the white and brown motel before it was burned.
Top and bottom right: The fire aftermath of the historic Topanga Ranch Motel on Jan. 8, 2025. Bottom left: The Topanga Ranch Motel before the Palisades Fire.
(
Courtesy California State Parks
)

The California parks department confirmed that parts of Topanga State Park have been destroyed, including the historic motel once owned by William Randolph Hearst. The bungalow-style building had 30 rooms that were used by PCH construction workers. The parks department had plans to restore it.

Will Rogers’ ranch house

A collage of fives images showing the ranch house before and after fire destruction. In the  after photos, the building is gone with smoke and debris covering the scene.
Top left: Living room inside Will Rogers’ ranch house. Top right: Living room after the fire on Jan. 8, 2025. Left middle: Exterior of ranch home. Bottom row: Exterior of the stables before and after the fire.
(
Courtesy California State Parks
)

The state department also said Will Rogers’ historic ranch house and other buildings in the park were destroyed. Personnel were able to evacuate the horses and remove some cultural and historical artifacts from the park. Rogers owned about 359 acres in what is now known as Pacific Palisades, including land he developed into a cowboy-style ranch in the 1920s.

Do you have a question about the wildfires or fire recovery?
Check out LAist.com/FireFAQs to see if your question has already been answered. If not, submit your questions here, and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.

_

Updated January 23, 2025 at 9:42 AM PST

This story was updated to include the L.A. Conservancy's list of places lost.

Updated January 9, 2025 at 5:07 PM PST

This story was updated to include the destruction of the historic McNally House and Saint Mark's Episcopal Church — both in Altadena.

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