Thousands look toward the daunting task of rebuilding after devastating wildfires ravage Southern California.
LOS ANGELES — Staggered after one of the most destructive natural disasters in Southern California history, thousands of heartbroken families, burned-out business owners and beleaguered leaders across Los Angeles County are beginning to ponder another monumental task: rebuilding what was lost and charting a path forward.
Alex Rosewood and nearly her entire family in Altadena, northeast of Los Angeles, lost their homes — her father, whom she and her husband were living with, and her aunt, uncle and cousin next door.
Lost were the keepsakes of a lifetime of family relationships: Rosewood’s grandmother’s playing cards and unfinished quilt. Her wedding photos. Heirlooms from her grandfather, who served in the Navy. All things she wished she could have saved in their frantic flight as smoke turned the sky gray and her cousin’s house began to catch fire.
But Altadena remains home.
“We all plan to rebuild, for sure,” she said.
The traumatized region…