In Car-Loving L.A. After the Wildfires, the Charred Remains of Vehicles Cut Deep

Dozens of vehicles sit abandoned, covered in ash, along a stretch of Palisades Drive near Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. There’s a pair of black boots beside a gray Subaru Crosstrek. Down the street, a pink backpack with the name Sonya on it has been left in a Tesla Model X. Nearby, a box of family photos remains in a partly melted red Lexus UX.

Farther east, in Altadena, dozens more sit in ruins.

Exactly how many vehicles were damaged or destroyed this month by the Palisades and Eaton fires is still unclear. For many residents, though, that facet of the devastation is deeply personal.

The lost vehicles were more than just a means of transportation in a sprawling city where a set of wheels is all but a necessity. In Los Angeles, where cars are embedded in the culture, a vehicle is also an extension of one’s home. A place to store a backup pair of sneakers. Somewhere to eat during a lunch break. A phone booth to call a friend while stuck in gridlock.