Even though many students have returned to learning, school communities are only beginning to recover from catastrophic fires that continue to burn in Los Angeles.

The fires broke out Jan. 7 and were fanned by Santa Ana winds of 40 to 60 miles per hour that spread the flames through extremely dry vegetation.

As of Jan. 22, the Palisades Fire west of downtown Los Angeles is 68 percent contained, while the Eaton Fire to the north is 91 percent contained. The blazes have killed an estimated 28 people and consumed more than 15,000 structures, including the homes of students and staff in affected communities.

At one point, wildfires caused 1,281 school closures that affected more than half a million students, according to estimates by EdSource. Nine schools are estimated to have completely burned down, according to EdSource.

Students whose schools were impacted were temporarily moved to new campuses where they could find safety and normalcy, including crucial school services like nutrition.

The second-largest school district in the country, Los Angeles USD closed all schools and offices on Jan. 9 due to “dangerous, complex situations that present unsafe conditions for our school communities,” according to a district news release. The district reopened most schools and offices on Jan. 13.

“Seeing the burned storage bins and lunch boxes left behind serves as a poignant reminder of what was lost, but also of the strength and determination that will carry us through this challenging time,” wrote LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho in a post on X.

In Pasadena USD, the Eaton Fire significantly impacted the district, with the complete loss of Eliot Arts Magnet Academy and severe damage at five campuses. More than 10,000 of PUSD’s 14,000 students were evacuated from their homes.

The district plans to welcome all students back to school by Jan. 30 thanks to the efforts of a team of more than 1,500 PUSD Maintenance and Operations workers and contractors, who are conducting extensive cleaning and sanitizing, including air filtration devices, vents and surfaces. Each site will be reopened only after environmental testing, according to the district.

Many districts that weren’t in the direct path of the fires closed schools due to air quality, ash in classrooms, power outages, and transportation issues.

In Santa Monica-Malibu USD, Superintendent Antonio Shelton said in a note to families that while the district is thankful no schools were damaged by this fire, there have been other impacts to school sites.

“A big challenge from a safety standpoint continues to be road closures,” he said in a Jan. 14 e-mail to families. “This presents a very difficult situation for our Malibu staff, who come from the north and from the south, in addition to the local area. It also presents a challenge for our students who use our bus services and some families.”

Back in Pasadena, the district hosted a “Pasadena Unified Community Connector” event on Jan. 17 at Pasadena City College to begin to reconnect and heal from the tragedy.

“It was deeply moving to see so many familiar faces, to witness the hugs, tears, and moments of connection that remind us of the strength we find in each other,” said Pasadena USD Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco, in a statement about the event on the district’s website. “Many of you shared your stories of evacuation, loss, and resilience. We watched as community members wrote heartfelt messages to our staff members who lost their homes. Students engaged in art therapy activities while parents connected with our enrollment team and gathered essential supplies from our resource booths. These moments of support and healing are exactly what our community needs right now.”