'Not out of the woods': Fire-scarred LA braces for another round of dangerous winds

More than 7,000 structures, mostly homes, were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire, and as officials continue to inspect the area, some evacuees were finally able to go home.

Several residents in the Kinneloa Mesa community, located close to Eaton Canyon, returned home Tuesday for the first time in a week.

Some of their homes had little damage, but there's plenty to clean up.

More than 7,000 structures, mostly homes, were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire, and as officials continue to inspect the area, some evacuees were finally able to go home.

"Everything was pretty much covered with ash, so we had to clean that, [we've got to] clean the sheets, basically clean everything," said Joseph Murad, who was forced to evacuate. "Threw the food out and you know, that's the next
step."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced a soft closure of the Kinneloa Mesa area, meaning only residents were allowed.

Jillian Pelentay said the past week has been emotional, but she's thankful to find her childhood home still standing.

"It is a bittersweet feeling," she said. "It's a mix of, you know, relief but also survivor's guilt just because you know ... I've seen my family, friends and friends have lost everything."

As of Tuesday, the area is still without power, gas and clean water.

Pelantay, who works in real estate, said she's already starting the daunting task of completing the necessary inspections.

"Inspections are being done by the environmental company, but that's separate from insurance inspectors, so there's two sets of inspections they need to confer with each other and then they'll come up with a solution or how much you're approved for."

Now that residents - and even wildlife - begin to return home, many are simply reflecting on the catastrophic week.

"What can you do? I think it's an act of nature. If you don't see it as an act of God, it's nature," said evacuee Shin Yang.

A group of residents impacted by the Palisades Fire is suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, alleging the city and its agency were unprepared.

"The Palisades Fire has been a traumatic event for its victims, who through no fault of their own, went from homeowners to homeless in a matter of hours," according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.

Palisades Fire victims are suing the LADWP over water shortage issues, alleging the city and its agency was unprepared.

The plaintiffs allege the water supply system servicing the Pacific Palisades area failed on the day of the fire and played a "substantial factor" in causing devastating losses.

The Santa Ynez Reservoir, a 117-million-gallon water storage complex that is part of the Los Angeles water supply system, had been empty for nearly a year, according to the lawsuit.

After the devastating wildfires tore through the Los Angeles area last week, burning more than 40,000 acres and destroying thousands of homes, many people turned to GoFundMe campaigns to raise recovery funds.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is not only helping cover firefighting costs, but they are also helping people cover the costs of immediate needs and recovery efforts.

However, donations from a GoFundMe page could impact how much money people receive from FEMA.

Donations from a GoFundMe page could impact how much money people affected by the wildfires receive from FEMA.

"FEMA may be able to offer funds to replace a vehicle but if your GoFundMe page clearly states that you're raising funds to replace a vehicle, then that will impact eligibility," said FEMA's Nicole Wilson. "FEMA by law cannot duplicate benefits. So we can't pay for things that have already been paid for by other sources."

Even if you have already established a GoFundMe campaign, FEMA encourages anyone affected to apply for assistance regardless so they can review your specific case.

RELATED: LA wildfire victims could get $770 from FEMA within 24 hours of applying. Here's how

What started as an idea to help friends who lost their homes in the Altadena Fire quickly turned into an entire movement with the help of social media and some big name celebrities.

"Altadena Girls" was founded by14-year-old Avery Colvert, who along with her army of volunteers have been helping girls that were affected by the devastating fire.

"A lot of my friends, my closest friends, were affected," said Colvert.

Colvert's home was spared from the Eaton Fire, but her school, Eliot Arts Magnet Academy in Altadena, was badly damaged, along with the homes of many of Avery's friends.

"I wanted to create a space where girls can get all new items that will restore their identity back and their personal identity and their confidence," said Colvert.

In a matter of days, "Altadena Girls" went viral.

"I got a personal message from Charli XCX, her and her team gave us big bags of makeup from Sephora yesterday and Ariana Grande and REM Beauty are bringing us a bunch of stuff from her brand," said Colvert.

Colvert said the outpouring of support from the community has been amazing.

"It's amazing to see the heart of the people of Los Angeles. People dropped everything and they immediately came to our donation centers, and we have volunteers who have been here since day one," Colvert said. "It really shows the true heart of these people and how much they really want to help."

Teenager rallies army of volunteers to become 'Altadena Girls' to help others in wake of Eaton Fire