ALTADENA, California - In the close-knit Los Angeles suburb of Altadena, where rows of neat bungalows once nestled in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains, smouldering ruins and the skeletal frames of burnt-out cars now lie.

While the fires that have devastated celebrity neighbourhoods near Malibu have caught the world’s attention, a similar-sized blaze in Eaton Canyon, north of Los Angeles, has ravaged Altadena, a racially and economically diverse community.

Black and Latino families have lived in Altadena for generations and the suburb is also popular with younger artists and engineers working at the nearby Nasa rocket lab who were attracted by the small-town vibe and access to nature.

Many residents told Reuters they were concerned that government resources would be channelled towards high-profile areas popular with A-Listers, while insurance companies might shortchange less affluent households that do not have the financial means to contest fire claims.

“They’re not going to give you the value of your house... if they do, you really have to fight for it,” said Ms Kay Young, 63, her eyes welling up with tears as she stared at a sprawl of smoking rubble, the remnants of a home that has been in her family for generations.

Ms Inez Moore, 40, whose family home in Altadena was destroyed by the fire, said communities like theirs would likely suffer financially more than wealthier suburbs because many residents do not have the resources or experience to navigate complex bureaucratic systems.

“You’re going to have some folks who are not going to get as much as they deserve, and some folks who may get more than actually they need,” said Ms Moore, a lecturer at California State University.

Reuters contacted major home insurance companies in California for comment.

State Farm, Nationwide, Allstate, Mercury, Liberty Mutual and Farmers responded with statements saying they were working with policyholders to help them make claims, without addressing specific concerns raised by Altadena residents.

Ms Moore, Ms Young and several other residents told Reuters they did not see any fire engines in Altadena in the early hours of Jan 8 when they fled flames engulfing their community, fuelling a resentment that their neighbourhood was not a priority.

“We didn’t get help here. I don’t...