Eaton Fire burn area showing signs of new green growth after rainfall

The Palisades and Eaton fires ravaged homes, uprooted lives and destroyed tree ecosystems. But after the recent rains, a change is happening in the areas with large burn scars.

There's new growth and green life is poking through the charred landscape.

When asked about the possibility of new life for vegetation, consulting arborist Steve Marshall says the signs are positive.

"We've even seen some trees that have been preliminarily condemned that have restored themselves and come back to growth. If you look around the damage here, none of the houses in this terrible fire zone are standing but almost all the trees are," said Marshall.

Arborists like Marshall specialize in tree management and understand the best ways to maintain trees. He says when determining new growth and life, it comes down to the roots.

"The thing to remember is the roots of the plant are its heart, and if the roots are underground and the fire is above ground, except for those very shallow rooted plants or tremendous things above them burning, the roots have a real chance of survival," he added.

In the case of trees, its bark acts as a protective barrier. Arborists remove a piece and examine the cambium layer, known as the tree's skin, to see what the chance of survival is depending on the property, species and extent of the burn.

This is especially important for Dorna Khazeni, who lost her Altadena property in the Eaton Fire.

"I met with a volunteer certified arborist where the house burned down. I have five very old growth trees (and wanted) to get his opinion on whether or not these trees should be saved," said Khazeni.

It can be rough determining which trees will survive, but Marshall maintains that the trees are tough and can withstand disasters.

"Trees are tough customers, especially the local ones, the ones that were here before humans were here. They've engineered themselves to go through fires and survive," said Marshall.

After signs of regrowth on her property, Dorna believes there's hope for new life.

"All of this came back after the fire, by itself. The resilience of this plant life is so encouraging and beautiful, and of course it's the beginning of spring and it's very symbolic that there are things that survived and that are thriving, even, after such a devastating event," said Khazeni.

With spring just a couple of days away, we'll get a good sense of what has survived and will continue to grow, and what has reached the end of its life.