Palisades Charter High School still standing strong after Los Angeles wildfires

PACIFIC PALISADES — The Palisades Fire roared through Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, and has burned more than 21,000 acres as of Friday afternoon.
Reports Tuesday night appeared to show Palisades Charter High School was engulfed in flames. A Los Angeles-based TV reporter and cameraman were fighting the fires as darkness fell. The cameraman, who went to Palisades High, said: "This is heartbreaking. This is my alma mater. The baseball field is totally gone, some of the buildings are gone."
Despite the carnage the Southern California fires have left in the surrounding community, there’s something the Pacific Palisades community can smile about — the home of the Dolphins is intact.
I went to the Palisades Charter campus on Friday afternoon to see what the status of the school was. What was left? What’s gone? How bad is it?
The answers: A lot. Not a lot. Not that bad — and that’s good.
The backside of the campus saw damage. A number of classrooms and some bungalow-type buildings burned down, but a majority of the campus is unscathed.
The football field and baseball field are fully intact. The front of the school, where a large grass quad sits, is as green as can be. The basketball gym is untouched. The aquatic center is in great shape.
Here's a look at what I saw:
There’s no telling when students will be back on campus and in classrooms. It’s possible some athletic activity, like basketball and soccer practice can take place so those teams can play games, but the overall condition of the school is in good standing considering the apocalyptic images seen from this week’s wildfires in Los Angeles.
The CIF Los Angeles City Section, which governs Los Angeles Unified District athletics, issued a statement in regard to Palisades this week.
“We are devastated for the Palisades Charter High School community, families, students and loved ones. Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers. We wish everyone in the Palisades to stay safe. We are with you during this difficult time.”
Below are images captured from the campus on Friday.