Day 7: Hope looms

A chimney remains standing at the site of a destroyed home near the origin of the Witch Creek fire.  (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

A couple walks past a destroyed home in Rancho Bernardo in San Diego County.  (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

Debris from the Witch Creek fire.  (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Mike Bowne of Bowne Water Services cleans the many fire trucks before being deployed at the Snow Valley fire command center.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Debris on the site of a destroyed home in Rancho Bernardo.  (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

Friends help Philip Penn sift through the remains of his rented home in Rancho Bernardo. As evacuations are lifted, many residents are returning to find their homes destroyed.  (Stefan Saklin / EPA)

A chimney darts out from the remains of Philip Penn’s home. Penn is one of many residents that are trying to scrap what they can from their destroyed homes.  (Stefan Zaklin / EPA)

Fire crews from Mt. Shasta Protection Fire District spray homes with fire retardant, to protect them from an approaching fire in Silverado Canyon.  (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)