Here’s what you need to know about the la wildfires

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Greater Los Angeles area was set ablaze in a series of the most destructive wildfires in LA history, destroying thousands of structures and taking many lives. These are the costliest wildfires in California history, with over $200 billion worth of destruction. 

The initial fire began around the Temescal Ridge Trail in the Pacific Palisades at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 7, and ultimately ended up being the largest. By Jan. 8, it had consumed over 20,000 acres of land and destroyed an estimated 5,000 structures. Strong winds intensified the fire, prompting power shut-offs in areas such as Santa Monica, Brentwood, Venice and Encino. The Eaton fire started later that day near Altadena and quickly became uncontrollable, burning 14,000 acres. The same day, the Hurst fire erupted in the Sylmar area, burning significantly less land at 800 acres.

The scale and rapid spread of these fires, particularly in the Palisades, quickly raised questions about the origins of their whereabouts. The fires were most likely set unintentionally, emitting embers carried by wind to the brush. Typically, fires in California are triggered by the strong Santa Ana winds, which were amplified this year with gusts of up to 100 mph. Compounded with the lack of rainfall this winter due to the La Niña, this made conditions extremely susceptible to wildfires.

Increased wind speeds made the fires extremely difficult to suppress and hindered the helicopters’ ability to help extinguish the fires. Finding themselves outnumbered, the LAFD recruited firefighters from throughout California, even gathering assistance from Canada and Mexico. Simultaneously, the water supply was scarce due to the drought, reducing levels of water in reservoirs used to suppress fires and supply water in fire hydrants. For the first 2 days of the Palisades fire, there was 0 percent containment, forcing over 150,000 residents to evacuate their homes, with some coming back to ashes.

Peter Collins ’27 took photos of aftermath of Pacific Palisades fire showing burn cars, homes and pounds of ash lining sidewalks.

 Significant political controversy erupted on social media platforms hours after the initial fire in the Palisades, with conflicting ideas emerging about management for conditioning disaster aid, environmental policies and criticism of leadership. Generally speaking, Democratic party members have been more outspoken about the environmental effects of the fires with regards to the climate change crisis. Additionally, some have attributed the LAFD’s lack of resources and manpower to a series of budget cuts in 2023, with arguments that funding for the LAFD was redistributed to the LAPD at the cost of considerable staffing and resources within the department. However, it has since been confirmed that these budget cuts did not directly affect the LAFD’s ability to combat the recent wildfires. On the other side of the political spectrum, the Republican party has tended to be more concerned about more aggressive forest management, and opposes the idea of climate change having a major impact on the spread and start of the wildfires. President Trump criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for failing to properly manage California’s forests, claiming that Newsom has focused too much on climate initiatives. Trump argued that focusing on climate change is deflecting attention for more immediate and actionable solutions like forest management. Overall, Newsom aims to address the larger issue of climate change whereas Trump wants to initiate immediate solutions. 

Trump mentioned the wildfires in his inaugural address on Jan. 20.

“We can’t let this happen,” he said. “Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That is going to change.” 

A vocal critic of both Newsom and the City of Los Angeles’s response to the fire, Trump visited LA on Jan. 24 to survey fire damage in his first official trip as president. 

Amid all the political debates online, the devastating effects of the fires are still being felt firsthand by the thousands of Pacific Palisades and Altadena residents who have lost their homes and been displaced. Unfortunately, there have been 28 fatalities and 25 hospitalizations, the majority a product of the Palisades and Eaton fires. Pets and wild animals have also been impacted—animal shelters across LA are reaching capacity due to an influx of displaced animals due to the fires. For instance, Pasadena Humane is caring for over 300 animals in a singular facility, 180 of which arrived after Jan. 8. Shelters in safer areas of Los Angeles are unable to accept additional animals due to overcrowding in existing facilities. 

As of Jan. 23, the wildfires have collectively burned over 50,000 acres of the Greater Los Angeles area, destroying an approximate 16,000 structures and taking 28 lives. With the thousands of structures and acres gone, this was the costliest fire in all of California history. Although new smaller fires continue to emerge, they have been much less severe and caused less destruction overall. 

If you or someone you know has been affected by the fires, there are several resources available such as the American Red Cross, Los Angeles County Health Services and many local volunteer organizations to reach out to.

Peter Collins ’27 took photos of of Pacific Palisades fire showing home ablaze with flames.