As deadly fires ravage the L.A. region, experts say symptoms of distress like nightmares, flashbacks, nausea and difficulty sleeping can actually be normal responses to have right now. But there’s also something called the “dose of exposure”: Did you have a traumatic evacuation experience? Were you fearful for your life or for your family?

With unprecedented wildfires sweeping the Los Angeles area, people may face threats not just their physical safety but also their mental health – and not just immediately after the fire passes.

Actor Dean Cain said he is devastated by the destruction in Malibu, California, where he grew up, and nearby Pacific Palisades, adding that all six homes he lived in at different times there have been destroyed by this week's wildfires. Dennis, who lives in Brentwood, fled his home this past week amid worsening conditions in the area.

Some residents in the Altadena neighbourhood have been returning to find their homes completely destroyed in the wildfires which ravaged the Los Angeles area this week.