LA fires latest: Fire deaths rise as weather conditions to worsen; prisoners 'deployed to fight blazes'

'Trauma is written on the faces of the evacuees' By Jayne Secker, in Los Angeles On a normal Saturday the Westwood recreation centre in Los Angeles is packed with people sweating through spin classes and circuits. Today however its gym is crammed with neat rows of camp beds, each with a pillow, blanket and small pile of belongings at one end. The American Red Cross – seen in so many international disaster zones – is now helping its own. Spokesman Nicole Maul explained how the trailers lined up outside are full of the basics – toothpaste, soap, sanitary products – for those who now have nothing. In the reception area new arrivals are greeted with warm smiles and tables of donated food. So much is being brought to the shelter from those who live nearby and want to help. A large TV screen carries a local rolling news channel with wall to wall coverage of the blaze. For many though it is just too much. Outside I spoke to one man sitting quietly on a bench. He has lost his home in the Pallisades blaze. He said the images were just too upsetting. He has tried twice to get back to his street. Twice the authorities have turned him back, telling him it is still not safe. He has nowhere else to go. In the car park a local acupuncture clinic has sent up a tent offering free treatments to help relieve stress. Suddenly one of the practictioners leaps up and leaves. She'd received a call. The wind had changed and her house was now at threat. A stark reminder of how unpredictable these fires are. By the afternoon on the astro pitch outside, young girls practise their football drills, while a man honed his golf swing. Normal life for some, cheek by jowl with those entirely uprooted from theirs. There is so much goodwill here, but the trauma the evacuees are continuing to go through is written on their faces. They have no idea how long they will have to stay here. This place is a refuge, but it is certainly not home.