Linda Bernardi spent four years building her Malibu dream home, putting the finishing touches on the coastal Sunset Mesa estate late last year. On Jan. 7, she watched it burn to the ground. “I absolutely knew I would never live in L.A. again,” she said.

The days and weeks after the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires saw mass migration for displaced residents. Some families fled to hotels or short-term rentals. Others fanned out up and down the coast and into the desert and mountains wanting refuge from the chaos of the city.