California mum feels 'blessed' her family is safe after returning to ruined home

There is a new threat to Los Angeles today in the form of the Kenneth fire – a blaze that has gained rapid traction overnight.

Shockingly, it seems to have been started deliberately. One man has been arrested.

This is the problem with the wave of wildfires assaulting southern California. When one fire is partly contained, another ignites from a combination of the hot wind and dry land.

In Pacific Palisades, the fire did damage on a scale I have never seen before. Whole city blocks lie in ruins and ash.

With wildfires devastating the Los Angeles area for several days now, ITV News Correspondent Robert Moore speaks to mother-of-five Sarah Rutledge, whose family home was completely destroyed

We returned to the home of Sarah Rutledge, a mother of five children who escaped with her life – but with no possessions and a deep sense of loss.

But Sarah also has gratitude. She recognises that her house may be gone but her family is intact. She even calls herself blessed.

That is part of the spirit of these suburbs of Los Angeles. The bond is deep. Everyone is talking about rebuilding.

This will be a huge challenge for America’s insurance companies. Can they afford to pay out as much as $20 billion? How will it work?

What is clear is that multiple challenges are descending on America at the same time: the wildfires, the imminence of Donald Trump’s presidency, the wars, economic malaise.

These are likely to be defining days for Los Angeles. Will the city pull together or become even more bitterly divided?