ANCHOR: GOOD EVENING, I'M JOHN YANG.

THE DESPERATE BATTLE BETWEEN FIREFIGHTERS AND WILDFIRES IN LOS ANGELES IS NOW IN ITS FIFTH DAY WITH MORE EVACUATIONS AND HIGH WINDS THREATENING MORE LIVES AND MORE HOMES.

THERE ARE 11 CONFIRMED DEATHS FROM THE FIRE SO FAR AND AT LEAST 13 PEOPLE ARE MISSING.

STEPHANIE SY BEGINS OUR COVERAGE TONIGHT FROM MALIBU.

REPORTER: AS THE LIGHT OF DAY DAWNED OVER LOS ANGELES, A THICK WALL OF SMOKE FANNED OVER HILLSIDE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SO FAR HAVE BEEN SPARED BY THE FLAMES.

HELICOPTERS SCRAMBLE TO DRENCH THE WILDFIRES WITH WATER PULLED FROM A NEARBY WATER FROM -- RESERVOIR.

OVERNIGHT, THE FIRE BURNING THROUGH PACIFIC PALISADES SPREAD NORTHEAST INTO HER THROUGH VAST TRACTS OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS.

THAT CAUSED ADDITIONAL EVACUATIONS.

>> WE IMMEDIATELY REDEPLOYED RESOURCES FROM THE SAN BENITO VALLEY TO BEGIN EVACUATION AND EFFORTS WITH A RELENTLESS AIR ATTACK.

REPORTER: THE MAYOR STOOD BY HER.

RESPONDING TO MOUNTING CRITICISM ABOUT INADEQUATE FIREFIGHTING RESOURCES.

>> WE HAVE TO STAY FOCUSED UNTIL THIS TIME PASSES.

WHEN THE FIRES ARE OUT, MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE WILL HAVE A FULL ACCOUNTING OF WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DID NOT.

REPORTER: A LOS ANGELES TIMES INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT A KEY AREA RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY IN THE LEAD UP TO THE FIRES.

WHEN FIREFIGHTERS CONFRONTED DRY HYDRANTS.

THE FIRE CHIEF DEFENDED THE DEPARTMENTS PREPARATIONS THAT DEFLECTED CRITICISM MADE A DECISION MAKERS.

>> I DID EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD ENOUGH PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES BEFORE THE FIRST FIRE STARTED.

IT WAS NOT FOR A LACK OF PREPARATION AND DECISION-MAKING THAT RESULTED IN THIS CATASTROPHE.

REPORTER: IT IS A DISASTER THAT STILL HAS RESIDENCE RELATING.

SHE WORKS FOR A HUMANITARIAN AID ORGANIZATION.

SHE HAS BECOME AN EXPERT ON WHAT IT TAKES TO RECOVER FROM WILDFIRES AND ON THE EFFECTS OF COMMUNITIES FROM CLIMATE CHANGE.

>> ALL WE LOST WAS OUR STUFF.

REPORTER: THIS WEEK HER WORK BECAME MORE PERSONAL THAN EVER WHEN THE PALISADES FIRE ARRIVED AT HER DOORSTEP.

>> I WAS IN SHOCK AND DISBELIEF.

I TRY TO SEPARATE MYSELF.

AND REMEMBER WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE SURVIVED FIRES TOLD ME.

TAKE IT ONE MOMENT AT A TIME.

REPORTER: SHE HAD HER HUSBAND HAD LIVED THERE WITH HER CHILDREN FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.

>> YOU CAN HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION, ALL OF THE GO BAGS, TRAINING, THE PLANS, THE ALERTS, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR AFTER.

I CONSIDER MYSELF A REALLY STRONG WOMAN.

I DID NOT CRY IN FRONT OF MY KIDS.

AND THEN I SAID I CAN CRY IN FRONT OF THEM.

THEY CAN SEE THAT THIS IS POWERFUL.

REPORTER: IT IS STILL UNCLEAR WHETHER THEY WILL BE HOUSED.

SHE QUESTIONS WHETHER CONTINUING TO REBUILD IN THESE HIGH-RISK AREAS IS SUSTAINABLE.

>> ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WILL WANT TO REBUILD.

I WANT TO MOVE RIGHT BACK TO WHERE I WAS.

I WANT TO THE GROCERY STORE BACK, MY DENTIST, THE LIBRARY, THE SCHOOL.

BUT SHOULD THEY?

IT IS HARD TO RECONCILE THAT IN MY BRAIN.

I CANNOT.

REPORTER: THAT AMBIVALENCE ABOUT WHAT IS NEXT IS PALPABLE.

LOOKING AHEAD, THE FORECAST IS NOT TERRIBLE BUT IT IS NOT GREAT.

THEY ARE EXPECTING SANTA ANA WINDS ANYWHERE FROM MODERATE TO STRONG FROM NOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

FIREFIGHTERS REALLY TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF CONTAINMENT THROUGH THE AIR.

ANCHOR: CLEARLY THE PRIORITY NOW IS CONTAINING THESE FIRES, LIMITING THE DAMAGE, BUT HAVE THEY BEGUN TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY STARTED?

REPORTER: THERE IS SUSPECTED ARSON AND ONE OF THE SMALLER FIRES.

AS FOR THE TWO LARGER FIRES WE HAVE BEEN COVERING, THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL CAUSE.

THEY ANNOUNCED TODAY A NEW TASK FORCE MADE UP OF LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND STATE AND FEDERAL AUTHORITIES THAT WILL BE INVESTIGATING THE CAUSES OF THE MAJOR FIRES.

ANCHOR: I KNOW YOU GREW UP IN THE AREA NOT FAR FROM SOME OF THE EVACUATION ZONES.

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO GO BACK HOME AND SEE ALL OF THIS DEVASTATION?

>> I DID NOT GROW UP IN THIS FANCY MALIBU AREA.

MY FAMILY IS INLAND.

THEY WERE CLOSE TO THE ALTADENA EVACUATION ZONE.

IT IS HARD TO SEE PLACES WHERE YOU HOLD MEMORIES GO UP IN FLAMES.

THERE ARE SOME PLACES THAT REMAIN.

MY FAMILY LIKE OTHERS WERE ON TENTERHOOKS FOR DAYS AS WINDS AND FIRE CONDITIONS CONTINUED.

BUT THIS IS HOME AND I CANNOT SEE THEM LEAVING THIS PLACE.

BETWEEN THE DISASTERS IN THE COST OF LIVING IN THE COST TO REBUILD, I DO HAVE TO WONDER IF THIS WILL BE AN INFLECTION POINT FOR SOME ANGELENOS WHO HAVE UNTIL NOW HELD ONTO THE CALIFORNIA DREAM.

ANCHOR: THANK YOU.