LOS ANGELES—In the still-smoldering neighborhoods of Altadena, where fires destroyed more than 2,700 structures, about 80 people have defied orders to evacuate, staying behind to protect what is left of their properties from looters and more fires after losing faith in authorities.
Residents, many of them armed, patrol streets and interrogate strangers, living in a Hobbesian world without electricity or clean drinking water. They are hemmed in by yellow caution tape at neighborhood entrances flanked by National Guard troops, Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies and California Highway Patrol officers.
“We do feel like we’re in the Wild West,” said Aaron Lubeley, a 53-year-old lawyer who is one of the holdouts and serves as an unofficial emissary with police and fire representatives.
Los Angeles Police have crime scene tape up near a parking lot for the Skull Rock Trail. This is believed to be close to where the deadly Palisades Fire started. #PalisadesFire #California pic.twitter.com/xWBQ3xd7gQ
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) January 14, 2025
