Holidays for L.A.'s wildfire victims become an exercise in creative problem-solving

LOS ANGELES — This time last year, Jon Cherkas and his wife were busy preparing to host relatives, friends and neighbors for Thanksgiving in their Southern California home of more than 20 years

LOS ANGELES — This time last year, Jon Cherkas and his wife were busy preparing to host relatives, friends and neighbors for Thanksgiving in their Southern California home of more than 20 years.

This year, the couple is planning to dine out with friends in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“We had such great community and fun with neighbors,” he said. “That’s the one thing that’s really missing now.”

Cherkas’ home was one of roughly 16,000 structures destroyed in the deadly Jan. 7 wildfires that consumed entire swaths of Los Angeles County. At least 31 people were killed, and more than 57,000 acres were scorched in densely populated communities including Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Sunset Mesa, where Cherkas’ house overlooked the Pacific Ocean.

Thousands of empty lots now dot neighborhoods that would otherwise be brimming with holiday decorations. Survivors say those inescapable reminders of what was lost gives them a renewed appreciation of Thanksgiving.