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2025 California wildfires

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 8 min

2025 California wildfires
Palisades Fire from Playa Vista on January 7, 2025.
Statistics[1][2][better source needed]
Total fires182[1]
Total area40,697 acres (16,469 ha; 164.69 km2; 63.589 sq mi)[1]
Impacts
Deaths27 (preliminary)[1]
Non-fatal injuries22+
Structures destroyed12,845[1]
Map
Map
Perimeters of 2025 California wildfires (map data)
Season
← 2024

There is an ongoing series of wildfires in the U.S. state of California. A series of fires in Southern California, specifically in the Greater Los Angeles area, have caused at least 27 deaths, thousands of destroyed structures, evacuations, and widespread power outages in January 2025. It was a dry La Nina year

Background

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Further information: List of California wildfires

The timing of "fire season" in California is variable, depending on the amount of prior winter and spring precipitation, the frequency and severity of weather such as heat waves and wind events, and moisture content in vegetation. Northern California typically sees wildfire activity between late spring and early fall, peaking in the summer with hotter and drier conditions. Occasional cold frontal passages can bring wind and lightning. The timing of fire season in Southern California is similar, peaking between late spring and fall. The severity and duration of peak activity in either part of the state is modulated in part by weather events: downslope/offshore wind events can lead to critical fire weather, while onshore flow and Pacific weather systems can bring conditions that hamper wildfire growth.[3][4]

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.[5]

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.[6][7][8]

Scientists from the University of California made a fast evaluation, estimating that the difference between the average temperatures in 1980–2023 and the abnormally hot 2024 alone is responsible for 25% of the moisture deficit which was one of the causes of the wildfires. They mentioned that "Substantial anthropogenic warming occurred prior to this period, so our estimate of the effect of heat anomalies in 2024 is conservative". Their study is still not peer reviewed.[9]

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[a] Notes Ref.
January 2025 Southern California wildfires
Palisades Los Angeles 23,713 January 7
43% contained
 Evacuations forced; destroyed at least 3,857 structures and damaged 628 in Pacific Palisades, northwest of Santa Monica. Ten confirmed fatalities and four confirmed injuries. 4th most destructive wildfire in California history. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [10][11][12]
Eaton Los Angeles 14,117 January 7
73% contained
 Evacuations forced; destroyed at least 8,988 structures and damaged 972 in Altadena and Pasadena, making it the second most destructive fire in California history. Seventeen confirmed fatalities and seven confirmed injuries. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [13][14][15]
Hurst Los Angeles 799 January 7 January 16 Evacuations forced. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [16]
Lidia Los Angeles 395 January 8
January 11
 Evacuations forced. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [17]
Sunset Los Angeles 43 January 8 January 9 Evacuations forced. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [18]
Kenneth Los Angeles, Ventura 1,052 January 9 January 12 Evacuations forced. Associated with extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. [19]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is under control or out.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "2025 Incident Archive". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). Retrieved January 18, 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. ^ "Weather: Fire Season Climatology (Northern California)". National Wildfire Coordinating Group. April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  4. ^ Toohey, Grace (June 22, 2024). "California wildfires have already burned 90,000 acres, and summer is just beginning". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ McGrath, Matt (January 9, 2025). "Climate 'whiplash' linked to raging LA fires". BBC. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  7. ^ Holthaus, Eric (January 9, 2025). "The Los Angeles wildfires are climate disasters compounded". The Guardian. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Madakumbura, Gavin; Thackeray, Chad; Hall, Alex; Williams, Park; Norris, Jesse; Sukhdeo, Ray. "Climate Change A Factor In Unprecedented LA Fires". UCLA. Regents of the University of California. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  10. ^ "Palisades Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  11. ^ "Wildfire forces evacuation of Pacific Palisades; homes destroyed". KTLA 5. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  12. ^ "Palisades Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  13. ^ "Eaton Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  14. ^ "California wildfires live updates: At least 5 dead, over 100,000 forced to flee". NBC News. January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  15. ^ "Elapses size of San Francisco: LA fires carve mark on history". ABC News. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  16. ^ "Hurst Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  17. ^ "Lidia Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  18. ^ "Sunset Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  19. ^ "Kenneth Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
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