Los Angeles Fires Continue to Rage
Now being the two worst fires they have ever had, the Los Angeles wildfires are still as strong as when they started on January 7th, 2025. Due to the slow but steady containment progress, the fires will most likely continue to rage on for days to come. With reports of possible water shortages, how global warming is affecting the situation, and over 12,000 acres destroyed, this article will catch you up on how this could have started, the current status, and what we can do to help.
Possible Wildfire Causes
With investigation pending, it will likely be weeks or months before the source of the fire is determined. The L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna reports that, “everything is on the table” as they continue investigating the causes. Downed utility lines and arson are the immediate assumption, however, no evidence of arson or utility lines have been evident in the Palisades and Eaton fires. Most likely the main cause of this fire is California’s vulnerability since the last major rainfall in October. Through 2022-23, California had much more rainfall than previously experienced which caused an abundance of foliage and vegetation to flourish. However, throughout 2024, the rainfall slowed, and all of the vegetation dried up. Combining that with the lack of rainfall since October, this leaves vegetated areas extremely vulnerable to possible wildfires. Likewise what has caught many off guard was the Santa Ana winds, which are common during colder months and the build-up of pressure in dry areas of southern California that push through the mountains towards the coastline. This usually results in 40 – 60 MPH winds. However this year the winds have gone over the mountains in addition to going through them. This has resulted in winds as high as 100 MPH and with the weather being extremely dry, this led to an almost inevitable disaster. The reason why the weather has changed so drastically compared to the subsequent years is unknown, but most are starting to believe global warming has been playing a huge part in the continued growth of these wildfires as well.
The Current Wildfire Status
With the high-speed winds, the Eaton and Palisades fires have been raging for over a week now and containment is met with a very serious pushback due to these winds. The fires spread quickly once started and have now destroyed over 40,000 acres, 12,000 structures, and damages are ranging from $50 billion to $150 billion dollars. Evacuation has been called for 92,000 residents of Los Angeles, California. Countless stories of families losing childhood homes or staying behind to try to fight the fires have been extremely prevalent. 27 deaths have been reported and 14 people have been reported missing, with Sheriff Robert Luna urging everyone to report anybody missing or any new information one may have about missing people would help with their efforts. A concerning problem that has now occurred is the shortage of water in high-demand areas. With most local areas not being ready or prepared to deal with a fire of this magnitude, the fire hydrants were not receiving enough water and would frequently shut off for hours at a time. This became extremely problematic when firefighters were trying to control the fires in the Palisades Highlands neighborhood when the fires first broke out. After a whole day, the fire hydrants remained dry. Mark Gold, a Southern California Metropolitan District Board member and the Water Scarcity Solutions director at the Natural Resources Defense Council confirmed it was not an issue due to state environmental restrictions, but to local storage problems. Southern California does have water stored and at the ready, but due to city infrastructure, they have not been able to deal with a fire of this magnitude. However, the pressure may be releasing soon as winds are finally starting to let up, letting firefighters start to contain these fires, with containment for the Eaton fires past 60% and the Pali fires above 30%.\
Jae C. Hong/AP (Picture of the fire aftermath in a Los Angeles neighborhood burnt to the ground.)
Support California has Received and How You Can Help
While these fires rage on, Los Angeles has received immense support from people everywhere. The Los Angeles Fire Department has been working day and night to help contain these fires, with firefighters being reported to be up for over 48 hours continuously fighting fires. However, help comes with more and more firefighters from outside California. Texas, Oregon, Mexico, Canada, and even Washington have sent out resources and more firefighters to help with containment and medical aid. A controversial decision has also been made for prison inmates to serve as firefighters, with nearly 1,000 inmates helping while only being paid $1 dollar an hour. Despite the imbalance that they face, the incarcerated firefighters have said they are “proud to help protect lives, property, and the natural resources of Southern California.” The federal government is also giving a one-time payment of $770 dollars to families that have been affected by the fires. This money is meant to help buy emergency supplies such as food, first aid, water, and other necessities. FEMA has confirmed that there is more that families can apply for, and President Biden has stated that the federal government is going to cover 100% of the cost for the next 180 days, such as firefighter overtime pay, reconstruction, debris removal, and temporary housing. More aid from the federal government will be coming out to affected families once the fires are extinguished. If you wish to help, the California Fire Foundation, The Red Cross, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, and dozens of other organizations are accepting donations to help supply families with necessities. The organizations mentioned are linked below, along with the California government wildfire volunteer website. If you would like to help in other ways, simply search “How can I help the California fire victims?” and you will be provided with a whole host of information and resources.
California Fire Foundation
https://www.cafirefoundation.org/what-we-do/for-communities/disaster-relief
Red Cross Relief Fund
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
https://www.lahsa.org/newsArticle/resources-to-support-those-during-the-la-fires
California Wildfire Volunteers
Sources:
https://time.com/7206352/los-angeles-firefighters-water-supply-access-complaints-investigation/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxe6lzvx9wo
https://time.com/7206376/what-ignited-southern-california-los-angeles-wildfires-investigation/
https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/08/nx-s1-5252535/palisades-fire-california-los-angeles-santa-ana-winds
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/california-wildfires/la-wildfires-missing/3602726/
https://www.factcheck.org/2025/01/770-payments-are-just-one-form-of-federal-aid-to-l-a-fire-victims/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/la-wildfires-prisoner-firefighter-program-criticism-rcna187436
Pictures taken from: https://www.npr.org/sections/the-picture-show/2025/01/13/g-s1-42407/see-california-wildfire-devastation-pictures-altadena-eaton-palisades
