Wildfires continue to burn on the West Coast. So far, over 40,000 acres have been burned, at least 27 people are dead, and 12,000 structures have been destroyed.
Stories from those with ties to New England continue to be shared, including a family with ties to Brookline, Massachusetts. The Palisades Fire rolled through their home in the Pacific Palisades one week ago.
"It's a little like when you wake up from a dream and you just remember a few things and everything is so random, that's the same feeling I guess," Shai Avital said.
They woke up Wednesday and their dream life they had built, was turning more into a nightmare.
At the beginning, it takes time to realize a lot of things you are used to, that you used to have, and obviously you had access to, you don't have anymore," Shai said.
His wife Julie evacuated and took their daughter Mia from daycare to head toward Santa Monica. Shai rushed home from a conference he was attending out-of-state to meet them.
He was caught attempting to get to LAX as high winds and smoke made landing incredibly difficult. The fate of their home remained unknown until friends helped them determine it was a total loss in the fire.
They haven't personally been up to see it because access to the Pacific Palisades is incredibly tight. The national guard and Los Angeles police have restrictions to get to the neighborhood due to unsafe conditions, and to prevent looting.
The devastation so unrecognizable via photos and videos, it was a fountain on their lawn that allowed them to identify the home.
"It had a little village feel to it. When we moved in, the neighbor brought over cookies, the neighbor she had lived in her house for over 50 years, and she was like, 'I can tell you the history of the town,'" Julie said when describing the town.
Like many we have met in reporting on the fires, the Pacific Palisades is described as a slice of heaven. They had only lived there five months before the fire.
It was a place they said they planned to grow their family. Julie is expecting their second child in just eight weeks.
"It was a very special place, and it's hard to believe it's just ash now," Julie said.
Their attention has turned to recovery - short, medium and long-term.
In the short term, it's about basic needs like personal hygiene products and clothes. Medium term, it's about interim housing ahead of a rebuild. Currently, they are staying in an Airbnb, but that isn't forever.
The family said they plan to rebuild.
"Stay and have our dreams come true, with the slight delay of a few years," Shai said, with a smile and a small laugh.
They remain positive with the help of Mia.
"She has been such a light; she is the best. She just keeps us happy and singing and dancing and gets us out of our head," Shai said.
The family is grateful and grounded in the fact they have each other because everything else is material and can be replaced, or is supplemented in memory.
But they said it's important to step back and try to look at the devastation through a child's eyes.
"I still feel that way, right Mia? Mia is...Lucky" the family said in unison.