The Altadena fire wiped out much of a historic black enclave in this picturesque town in the San Gabriel Valley.

A faint glow flickered behind the canyon ridges, and at first, it felt like a threat no different from fires past. Inside one home, Erliene Kelley, an 83-year-old grandmother, believed, as it had always gone over her 57 years in Altadena,

The recent fires that ravaged Altadena, California, have left a trail of destruction in a community with deep roots and a rich history.

After authorities reopened parts of Altadena for the first time since the Eaton fire, residents returned to a grim checkerboard of destroyed homes next to others that were largely spared.