Photo Essay: Things We Lost In the Fires (Palisades and Eaton Edition—Continuously Updated)

[Last updated 1/20/25 5:13 PM PT—Clarified status of Christmas Tree Lane and its model railroad in Altadena]

[Updated 1/13/25 10:04 PM PT—Added Mt. Lowe's Inspiration Point]

Los Angeles is currently on fire as it has never been on fire before. 

The Palisades Fire alone is almost twice the size of the island of Manhattan in terms of acreage. 

It seems like a new fire pops up every day. 

I've had two fires near me—a structure fire on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood and a brushfire between Wattles Mansion and Runyon Canyon, the latter of which I could see from my building. That second one almost sent me evacuating, but I decided to pack up and wait it out until I was told to leave, rather than trying to get my cat in the carrier. 

I have been so very lucky so far. 

But all of Los Angeles is in mourning. And the grief has only just begun. 

Because I'm me, I've set my attention to documenting what's been saved and what's been lost. It feels productive. Maybe it's helpful.

I haven't been able to leave my apartment yet to go see anything. The air quality is not good for my weak lungs. I'd have too much separation anxiety being from my kittyboy during what feels like an apocalyptic time. (Besides, there are too many looky-loos with drones and cameras shooting photos and videos out there already, and they're getting in the way of emergency crews and the residents trying to go and check on their own homes.)

So, I'm keeping tabs on things remotely for now. From what I've seen on the internet and the local news, I'm not sure I'd want to see any of this in person. 

So here are some of the major updates as I know them—particularly about places I've documented before and was pretty familiar with, so I can confidently report what's going on with them.

The first conflagration to erupt, the Palisades Fire, first raged through the Pacific Palisades community of Los Angeles. It's wiped out entire residential neighborhoods, a commercial district, and historic structures in Palisades—and it's not done, as it rages towards the 405 to the east and the 101 to the north as I write this. (It's headed straight for San Vicente Mountain Park!)

 Photo: California State Parks

Photo Essay: The Lost Ruins of Rustic Canyon

Update 9/11/21 1:46 PM PT—I'm not 100% sure of the status of these structures, as I haven't been able to get down there and see it myself. But I have heard from reliable sources that some of the ruins at Murphy Ranch have been removed. I'll update this post when I have a definite confirmation.

I first tried to visit Rustic Canyon by hiking through Will Rogers and then Topanga State Park.

But, as usual, I got lost.

I visited a second time more directly, by approaching it from the Sullivan Fire Road in Pacific Palisades, and reaching what I thought was my ultimate destination: Murphy Ranch.

But it turns out there are plenty of other ruins to be seen in Rustic Canyon. And during my last visit, I only found a few more of them.

Photo Essay: Rustic Canyon's Twisted History

Update 9/11/21 1:38 PM PT—I'm not 100% sure of the status of this structure as I haven't been able to get down there and see it myself, but I have heard from reliable sources that some of the ruins at Murphy Ranch have been removed. The last image I saw of this particular site, it looked entirely flattened.

I'll update this post when I have a definite confirmation.

Last year, I had the chance to delve into Rustic Canyon and it's somewhat twisted history with Nazi supporters who turned Murphy Ranch into a compound, whose relics still stand in the bottom of the canyon, graffitied and ominous.

There's the main Murphy Ranch power house, the easiest to find and the one everyone seems to know about.

There's also a farmhouse barn, possibly formerly part of the Camp Josepho Boy Scout camp...

And I knew there was also a twisted, rusted, burned-out steel structure that was a machine shed and garage, but I hadn't yet been able to find it.

So I kept going back until I could.



And just a little farther down the road, there it was.