Jennifer Garner is like an untold number of L.A. residents who live in the fire zones and feel guilty they were spared when so many of their friends and neighbors were not.

Garner, standing in front of burned-down structures in the Pacific Palisades, told MSNBC alongside chef José Andrés, "I did lose a friend and for our church it’s really tender ... so I don’t feel like I should talk about her yet. But yeah, I did lose a friend who did not get out in time."

She went on to say she could write out a list of 100 friends who lost everything in the fire, adding, "I feel almost guilty walking through my house. What can I do? How can I help? What can I offer? What do I have to offer with these hands and these walls and the safety that I have?"

Garner has lived in the Palisades a quarter century, and part of that was spent with ex-husband Ben Affleck, who lived nearby and was photographed with a pensive look driving to her house after he was evacuated.

The fires are still raging, with more winds expected this weekend. The Mayor of L.A. is on the ropes after L.A.'s Fire Chief went on TV and blasted her for slashing the Fire Dept's budget. The Chief apparently was triggered after the Mayor said at a news conference earlier this week the budget cuts didn't affect the response to the blazes. The Chief called B.S. on that.