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The La Tuna fire that burned in the Verdugo Mountains in early September was massive in scope. It ultimately claimed 7,194 acres—several officials, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, said after the fire that it was the biggest in terms of burned acreage in the city’s history, reports the L.A. Times. The blaze shut down a section of the 210 Freeway, led to the evacuation of more than 700 residents during the height of the fire, and destroyed five properties in the process.
Certainly, the scene of the aftermath was one of ruin and desolation. As shown in the photos above, the fire had turned the idyllic section of the mountains into a charred wasteland. Cars, gutted by the flames, sat like ancient monuments. Dead branches poked out of the ground like tentacles. At one of the ravaged properties, only the fireplace and chimney stand intact.
As our photographer noted from the scene (he'd gone just days after the fire was pronounced contained), the air was infused with a singed scent. Also, many of the trails were hard to navigate, as the fire had dislodged and spilled dirt onto the pathways. There were some anomalies, however—images that attested to hope. A cross perched on top of a hill had survived the blaze, and plants were growing anew at one of the properties, sprouting among the remains of burned vegetation.
