Few Los Angeles homes are intact in burned neighborhoods | Climate News

The remains of burned-out homes line the Los Angeles landscape as flames continue to engulf neighborhoods in the Southern California city.

But among the walls that collapsed on Monday, some houses are intact.

Through a mix of luck and building design, several homes in the charred neighborhoods survived the punishing blaze that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.

The differences were stark: the house on top of a hill stood among burnt trees and bushes, untouched objects could be seen through the windows. Below, the remains of other houses—parts of roofs, fences, and walls, as well as air conditioning units and chair swings—were readied and crushed.

The Walsh House, featured in the television series Beverly Hills 90210, survives. So was his pristine lawn. Next door, the remains of a neighbor’s house were blackened with soot.

Some waterfront properties were also spared, with rows of charred trees giving way to a row of intact houses. Others had a different fate with roofs and trees falling onto properties.

One man, David Slater, swept the driveway of his home intact just yards from the charred remains of his neighbor’s car and a broken wall. There were also fallen trees and debris outside the gate of Slater’s house.

California wildfires bear the fingerprints of climate change. Atmospheric rivers poured large amounts of water into the region, causing abundant plant growth. Then the drought dried them up and made perfect fodder for the flames.

Firefighters are bracing for the return of dangerous winds that could reignite the blaze on Monday.