Homeless veterans who were evacuated from the grounds of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center have begun returning to an uncertain future on the facility’s spacious campus as the fire threat has receded.
In a news release Thursday, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, or VAGLAHS, said that “the campus is ready to resume full services and welcome veterans back” following what was described as a “precautionary move” to protect against the threat from the Palisades fire.
LA has been gripped by historic wildfires fueled by seasonal winds since last week, with the blazes destroying 4 square miles of densely developed areas of the city, The Associated Press reported Friday. Overall, the fires have killed at least 27, forced evacuation orders for 80,000 people, and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, and are likely to be the worst in California history.
Residents of the Community Living Centers, or nursing homes, on the West LA VAMC grounds were also returning to the campus, but a CLC group that was relocated to the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System will not be brought back until next week, the release said.