Photos of smoke, smoldering homes and flames as wildfires ravage Los Angeles area

Four days after powerful winds gave fuel to what began as small fires in the Los Angeles area, on Friday fighthers were fighting several blazes in some places while in others evacuees returned to what was left of their homes.

The rubble

In large swaths of Los Angeles, the aftermath looked like bombed out war zones. Where there once stood houses, now there was only rubble.

The emotions

The devastation provoked strong emotions. One couple hugged, a wasteland of destroyed homes behind them. Another man, wearing a mask, put his hands on his head. Another man, also wearing a mask, leaned on a garden rake, as if trying to figure out where to start working amid so much destruction.

Ongoing battle

Despite the destruction and emotional rollercoaster being lived by Angelinos, the fires were far from over. Scenes of flames were everywhere, as many areas continued to burn all but unabated.

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