On Jan. 7, 2025, the Palisades Fire started in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. It quickly spread due to large Santa Ana winds and burned over 23,000 acres of land, killing at least 24 people.
The cause of the fire is unknown, and although factors such as high winds and a severe drought most likely contributed, investigators are currently looking into the cause. Fireworks, power lines and even arson have all been considered to be causes, but none of these have been officially determined to be true yet.
Along with this, more fires began after the Palisades Fire started. This includes the Eaton Fire, which has burned 14,021 acres at 89% containment, the Hurst Fire, which has burned 799 acres at 100% containment, and the recently started Auto Fire, which was 100% contained shortly after it burned 61 acres.
More than 14,000 personnel are fighting the fires, and 1,700 fire engines and other machinery are being brought to assist with the biggest fire in Los Angeles history. Despite the efforts of thousands of firefighters, a majority of the fires have not been fully contained.
Currently, over 88,000 people are under evacuation orders, and at one point there were close to 200,000 orders issued. Multiple people have died trying to protect their homes, and the death toll will most likely grow as the fires continue. Many of these deaths are still being investigated by the county’s medical examiner’s office.
Over 10,000 structures have been destroyed in the fires, and it has been estimated that the damages in the Pacific Palisades area alone will cost over $10 billion, possibly becoming the most expensive wildfire in US history.
Despite this, Gavin Newson, the governor of California, is not standing down. He recently signed a $2.5 billion relief package to help efforts in containing the fires and start rebuilding Los Angeles.
There’s no sign of when all the Los Angeles fires will be fully contained and put out, as some wildfires can last from a few days to several months. What happens now depends on the many firefighters helping to contain the fire, and nature itself.
