Rochele Jones, the couple’s 42-year-old daughter, said her parents and other family members collectively lost more than a dozen homes in Altadena. “It’s gut-wrenching,” she said. “You had your family around and when you had an issue you could turn to your family for help.

A mom and daughter, a cat-loving stage prop designer and a “Forest”-dwelling contractor are among the few who’ve gotten back to see what’s left of their homes. Each fled in a chaotic scramble last week as the winds and embers picked up.

As firefighters got higher containment on the Eaton and Palisades fires, officials have started to downgrade evacuations. letting some residents back into neighborhoods.