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From The New York Times, I'm Natalie Kitroweth, and this is The Daily. As wildfires ravage Southern California for a seventh straight day, residents are seeking answers about why so much has been lost and whether their government could have done more to protect them.
Today, my colleagues Mike Baker and Chris Flavell on the response so far and whether some of the devastation could have been avoided. It's Tuesday, January 14th.
Help! Help! I'm right here. I need a little water.
In the days since the fire started, a bleak picture has emerged of the extent of the damage they caused.
My family and I just lost our home here that we grew up in. It's very, very hard. It's hard not to cry. As you can see, there's nothing left, and I've been here for about an hour and a half, and I don't want to leave this home. I'm like, man, how much can one guy take? People tell me to be strong. It's like, how much stronger do I have to be?
These fires are on pace to be the most destructive in California's history. In the Palisades, on the west side of Los Angeles, an out-of-control fire ripped through homes and historic landmarks. Near the eastern edge of the city, entire neighborhoods in Altadena were reduced to ashes. As rescuers combed through the rubble, they found the body of a man named Victor Shaw.
He was laying dead in his front yard, clutching a garden hose.
I couldn't be here to save him. I couldn't be here. That's what hurts the most. I couldn't be here.
Throughout the week, intense winds fueled new fires. There were more and more haunting images. There were roads full of charred cars, embers falling from the sky onto scorched palm trees, hollowed-out houses. And even though the fires were still burning, residents who had evacuated to safety began to return to survey what was lost. Oh, shit.
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