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2025 California wildfires

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2025 California wildfires
Palisades Fire from Playa Vista on January 7, 2025.
Statistics[1][2][better source needed]
Total fires105[1]
Total area40,198 acres (16,268 ha; 162.68 km2; 62.809 sq mi)[1]
Impacts
Deaths24 (preliminary)[1]
Non-fatal injuries22+
Structures destroyed12,300+[1]
Map
Map
Perimeters of 2025 California wildfires (map data)
Season
← 2024

The 2025 California wildfires are an ongoing series of wildfires burning throughout the U.S. state of California. Fires in the Los Angeles area have resulted in fatalities, destroyed homes, and caused power outages.

Summary

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Further information: Wildfire § Climate change effects

The 2025 fire season started in early January when an extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event swept through Southern California, sparking several large, destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County.[3]

According to climate scientists, climate change increased the likelihood of the event by creating first a very strong rainfall (which resulted in more vegetation), and then a very strong drought (which dried the vegetation). The likelihood for such events increased by 31–66% from 1950. Previous climate models underestimated the risk, but even they said that a 3-degree temperature rise will increase the chances for such events 2 times in comparison to current conditions. Climate change also increases the intensity of winds, and reduces the amount of water available for stopping the wildfires.[4][5][6]

List of wildfires

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The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), produced significant structural damage, or resulted in casualties.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date Notes Ref.
Palisades Los Angeles 23,713 January 7
14% contained
 Evacuations forced; destroyed at least 1,280 structures and damaged 204 in Pacific Palisades, northwest of Santa Monica. Eight confirmed fatalities & three confirmed injuries. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [7][8][9]
Eaton Los Angeles 14,117 January 7
33% contained
 Evacuations forced; destroyed at least 1,902 structures and damaged 258 in Altadena and Pasadena. Sixteen confirmed fatalities & five confirmed injuries. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [10][11]
Hurst Los Angeles 799 January 7
95% contained
 Evacuations forced. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [12]
Lidia Los Angeles 395 January 8
January 11
 Evacuations forced. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [13]
Sunset Los Angeles 43 January 8 January 9 Evacuations forced. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [14]
Kenneth Los Angeles, Ventura 1,052 January 9 January 12 Evacuations forced. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "2025 Incident Archive". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  2. ^ Joyce, Elijah (January 8, 2025). "2025 California Wildfires Fatality Total: 5". X. WXFatalities. Retrieved January 9, 2025. 22+ Injuries Confirmed at UCLA
  3. ^ Garrett, Monica; Gilbert, Mary (January 7, 2025). "Wildfires are breaking out in Southern California as the 'most destructive windstorm' in over a decade hits". CNN. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  4. ^ McGrath, Matt (January 9, 2025). "Climate 'whiplash' linked to raging LA fires". BBC. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  5. ^ Holthaus, Eric (January 9, 2025). "The Los Angeles wildfires are climate disasters compounded". The Guardian. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  6. ^ Ignon, Lance. "Has climate change contributed to the L.A. fires? Expert: 'Definitely.'". Sol price school for public policy. University of Southern California. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  7. ^ "Palisades Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  8. ^ "Wildfire forces evacuation of Pacific Palisades; homes destroyed". KTLA 5. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  9. ^ "Palisades Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  10. ^ "Eaton Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  11. ^ "California wildfires live updates: At least 5 dead, over 100,000 forced to flee". NBC News. January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  12. ^ "Hurst Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  13. ^ "Lidia Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  14. ^ "Sunset Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  15. ^ "Kenneth Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
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