Disaster in L.A.

Why some houses were spared from the flames

The Walsh house known from the TV series "Beverly Hills 90210" stands undamaged next to a house that was destroyed by the Eaton fire in Altadena, California.

(Bild: AP/Chris Pizzello)

More than 12,000 buildings have fallen victim to the fires in Los Angeles so far and entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble. But amidst the destruction, there are always houses that have miraculously remained intact. Krone+ on the reasons suspected by conspiracy theorists - and what is actually behind it.

"Many areas look like a bomb hit them," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna at the weekend, describing the picture on the ground. According to official figures, the Eaton Fire in the eastern foothills of Los Angeles has now burned an area of 57 square kilometers, which is almost the size of the island of Manhattan. In the west of the metropolis of millions, the fire, which started in the Pacific Palisades district, is raging over an area of 96 square kilometers and is spreading to the upscale Brentwood district and other populated areas of Los Angeles.

Numerous L.A. residents are faced with the ruins of their lives.

(Bild: AP/Brontë Wittpenn)

More than 100,000 people have already had to leave their homes, and many more could follow. The authorities have warned the approximately ten million inhabitants of the metropolitan region that they may be asked to evacuate due to the fires and toxic smoke. Meanwhile, many are wondering how some houses in streets that were otherwise reduced to rubble remained unscathed. Conspiracy ideologues, mainly from the right-wing spectrum, have found a simple explanation for this in recent days: