Wrightwood families make emotional return home after Bridge Fire

WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Wrightwood residents made an emotional return home Wednesday after the devastating Bridge Fire forced them to flee.

Residents praised firefighters for saving homes and were grateful to see their neighborhood still standing.

"I was thinking we were coming home to nothing," said Wrightwood resident Jodie Snyder, whose home was saved. "It was black, it was red. It was like Armageddon."

"I thought it was all going to be gone," resident James Brooks said.

Some evacuations have been lifted for the blaze that destroyed 20 homes in Mount Baldy, 13 in Wrightwood and five cabins in wilderness areas. Cal Fire reports the blaze has grown to 54,795 acres and is 37% contained.

Work crews were still repairing torched utility lines, poles and more. Other crews removed dead and burned trees, along with the debris from destroyed homes.

"I don't even know what to say. Thank you isn't enough," said Tamie Keen, the acting general manager of Wrightwood.

"This is the worst I've ever seen," Keen added. "I've been through four evacuations and never in my life seen anything like this."

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.