Drone Footage Shows Razed L.A. Neighborhoods Amid Wildfires

It's almost impossible to wrap your head around the widespread destruction taking place in Southern California, which is currently seeing the worst wildfires in Los Angeles history. And in areas where the blaze has already swept through, more than 2,000 buildings have been damaged or decimated.

In aerial drone footage provided to the New York Post, entire blocks can be seen completely razed. The affluent neighborhoods, home to many famous celebrities, looked more like a war zone among the charred remains of multimillion dollar homes, some still smoking and burning in the aftermath of the flames.

As the footage pans out, block after block is seen decimated, with seemingly no end in sight. Thick plumes of smoke likewise linger in the air, causing a public health hazard even for those fortunate enough to be far enough away from the ongoing wildfires. It's unimaginable to think of so many residents—some of whom have lived in their homes for decades—losing everything in the blink of an eye.

Unfortunately, as of Thursday there were five fires burning throughout the city, including the Palisades Fire west of Los Angeles, the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena, and the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills. Firefighters got a break when the Santa Ana winds died down early Thursday, but are expected to pick back up in the afternoon. Wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour initially caused the fires to spread on Tuesday, exacerbated by exceptionally dry conditions.

"The scale of the destruction is jarring," said CNN's Julia Vargas Jones, who was reporting from outside a smoldering home in Altadena, CA, where the Eaton Fire is still at zero containment. "Driving though the streets, going through these neighborhoods, it is people's homes and businesses."