AP photos show the terror of Southern California wildfires and the crushing aftermath

Before the wildfire comes a decision: what to save. It often comes down to “the smallest things," Dawn Deleon told ABC7. The Mountain Fire destroyed her house in Ventura County, California this week.

Cats, dogs and horses. Family photos and SD cards and mementos. A single bag of clothes.

It's a choice becoming ever more common as human-caused climate change adds fuel to the destructive wrath of wildfires around the world, especially in already fire-prone landscapes like Southern California, with its strong Santa Ana winds that rustle flame-adapted vegetation.

The power of fire is evident. Palm trees turn to silhouettes against a raging orange wall. Firefighters push a vintage car through a haze of smoke. A woman clutches a scarf to her masked face as she leads her horse away from a burning hillside. Towering blazes strip homes to their foundations.

"It’s never a question of ‘if’ but rather ‘when’ and ‘how big’ when it comes to wildfires in Southern California,” said Alex Hall, director of UCLA’s Center for Climate Science. He called the impact on lives, livelihoods and ecosystems "truly devastating.”

The flames forgive little. Lucky residents escape with their lives and the few things that matter most. The unlucky lose the irreplaceable.

Often residents must return to sift through ash and rubble. Every now and then comes a surprising remnant — like a teapot with the word “blessed” in soot-covered cursive.

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