In California, a series of wildfires are currently blazing out of control, burning over 50,683 acres of land. Five different fires, in The Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Lidia, are ravishing vegetation, homes, businesses and communities. Due to the size of this disaster, there is a lot of information surrounding it. So let’s go over the facts and key points on this issue.
The Palisades fire began on Tuesday, January 7, between Malibu and Santa Monica. The first reports of the blaze came from residents in the affluent neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. The fire quickly got out of control, due to dry conditions and strong winds. The fire has burned up to 19,978 Acres as of recent data. Two other fires erupted on Tuesday: The Eaton Fire, scorching the neighborhood of Altadena, and the Hurst Fire, which erupted north of San Fernando. The Lidia Fire was noticed in the afternoon of January 8, when reports of a fire near Acton came in. On January 9, the Kenneth Fire flared up, and on January 10th the Archer Fire began. As of January 13, The Hurst, Lidia, Kenneth, and Archer fires have been 100% contained. The fires in The Palisades and Eaton continue to burn, although progress has been made in containing them.
All Current Active Incidents (As of January 22, 2025):
| Incident | Counties | Started | Acres | Containment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palisades Fire | Los Angeles | 1/07/2025 | 23,448 | 72% |
| Eaton Fire | Los Angeles | 1/07/2025 | 14,021 | 95% |
| Hughes Fire | Los Angeles, Ventura | 1/22/2025 | 10,176 | 14% |
| Sepulveda Fire | Los Angeles | 1/23/2025 | 45 | 60% |
| Clay Fire | Riverside | 1/21/2025 | 39 | 70% |
| Laguna Fire | Ventura | 1/23/2025 | 15 | 0% |
Officials are still unsure of how the fires started. Investigators are currently looking for any evidence of arson. Allegedly, an Edison high-voltage power line that was not de-energized was responsible for the fires in Eaton, but this has not yet been confirmed. Due to the high winds and scale of these fires, embers being thrown up from other fires may have been carried to other dry areas, causing more fires to start.
Wind fluctuation has made the fires hard to fight, with hurricane-force winds dying down and picking up at random. Due to multiple fires simultaneously, increased strain has been put on fire hydrants and water lines. This caused a pressure drop, leaving firefighters unable to get water from fire hydrants. Rumors that Los Angeles had not refilled their water tanks have been made but are unsubstantiated. One water tank in The Palisades was confirmed to be empty, but this was due to repairs being made to the tank.
The fires in LA are some of the worst fires Los Angeles County has ever seen. More than 150,000 people have been displaced in LA in the past week, and more than 12,000 structures, including homes, businesses, and schools, have been burned. As of January 22, the fires continue to burn, as efforts continue to be made to contain them.
Update:
On February 1, officials announced that the Eaton and Palisades fires are 100% contained. Some evacuation mandates have been lifted as the region slowly begins to open back up to the public. This marks the end to this historic and destructive fire, as California begins to recover from this devastating disaster.
Image courtesy of Flickr.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/08/us/maps-visuals-los-angeles-wildfires-dg/index.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/calfire/54254480956/in/photostream/
https://www.latimes.com/california/live/pacific-palisades-fire-updates-los-angeles
