On the Tuesday morning of January 7th, 2025, Nic Libonati made the first 911 call to report a fire. That same fire would become the Palisades Fire. At 6:18 PM on the same day, the Eaton Fire began. Just four hours and eleven minutes later, the Hurst Fire would break out. As an emergency response to the three fires were immediately scrambled, on January 8th, 2025, the Sunset Fire would break out in the Hollywood Hills at 5:57 PM. A week later, on January 13th, 2025, the Auto Fire would break out in Ventura at 9:25 PM. On January 21st, 2025, the Pala Fire and the Lilac Fire broke out in San Diego County. On January 22nd, 2025, the Huges fire would erupt north of Castaic Junction, next to Castaic Lake. On January 23rd, 2025, the Border Two fire would ignite in San Diego County, near the U.S-Mexico border. The Laguna fire would also start the same day, east of Oxnard.
While the cause of the fires are still up to be determined, Santa Ana winds played a major role in causing the fires to erupt and spread as much as they have. Winds were reported blowing up to 100 miles per hour in some sections of Southern California. Containing fires at these speeds is nearly impossible. In a panel held by the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability, Alex Hall would mention, “…and in our forests, we have a strategy to reduce wildfire risk, which is to do controlled burns and reduce the fuel load, but that does not apply to our chaparral shrublands around here [This biome covers much of the mountains around Los Angeles, such as the barren looking Santa Monica Mountains] …if we do controlled burn or vegetation clearance, in fact, that can be destructive…it can make way for invasive grasses, which are even more flammable.” For combating wildfires, the most important tools at the disposal of agencies such as CAL FIRE are aircraft. Aircraft can quickly respond and douse water and drop fire retardant to halt the growth of the fire. With the Santa Ana winds blowing as hard as they could, it was too dangerous to fly these aircraft.
Evacuation orders: As of January 15th, 2025, evacuation orders covered the entirety of Altadena, sections of Pasadena, and regions of the City of Los Angeles. Evacuation warnings are in effect for Calabasas, Encino, Brentwood and Northern Santa Monica, Sierra Madre, Northern Pasadena. Parts of Pasadena had their evacuation orders lifted as the spread of the Eaton fire was halted, with evacuation orders being fully lifted for the Hurst Fire. More than 200,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate as a result of the fires. Curfews have also been placed on areas around and affected by the fires and evacuation orders. While no evacuation orders have been issued for the Pala fire, evacuation orders have been issued for the Lilac Fire affecting west of the I-15 and south of Pala Mesa. To stay up to date with the evacuation orders, CAL FIRE posts up to date information. The Huges fire has sparked evacuation orders along I-5, including all of Castaic and much of Castaic Lake State Recreation Area. A threat is also posed to Santa Clarita. Evacuation orders have been issued for the Border Two fire, but affect mainly recreational land. The Laguna fire forced the evacuation of Cal State Channel Islands, but by the following day, the order was demoted to an evacuation warning, then lifted entirely. To stay up to date, Watch Duty, an app, holds reliable information. Additionally, CAL FIRE’s website holds the same information.
Data: NBC 4’s website, alongside CAL FIRE’s website, holds a map of structures affected by the fires from the Palisades and Eaton fires. As of January 15th, 2025, the Palisades Fire is 19% contained, having burned 23,713 acres in and around the Palisades area. 2, 191 structures have been destroyed. 8 first responder and/or civilian casualties have been confirmed for this fire, with 3 injuries. The Eaton Fire is 45% contained, burning 14,117 acres. Pasadena and Altadena have been most affected. 4,627 structures have been destroyed, 16 fatalities have been reported, with 6 injuries. The Hurst Fire is at 97% containment, having burned 799 acres. Affecting north of San Fernando, which has reportedly not caused any major damage with investigations are being opened up into whether Southern California Edison equipment started the fire. No injuries or destruction of property has been reported. The Auto Fire is the most recent of the fires, at 50% contained, it has burned 61 acres along the banks of the Santa Clara River, Ventura. No injuries or damage have been reported. The Lilac and the Pala fire are the Two fires have been fully contained, the Kenneth Fire, having burned 1,052 acres, and the Sunset fire, having burned 43 acres in the Hollywood Hills.
As of January 21st, 2025, the Palisades Fire is 63% contained, Eaton Fire 89% contained, Lilac Fire at 30% contained, having burned 80 acres, and Pala fire at 0% contained, having burned 17 acres. The Kenneth, Auto, Sunset, and Hurst fires have been 100% contained.
As of January 24st, the Palisades Fire stood at 77% contained, 23,448 acres burned. Eaton at 14,021 acres burned and 95% contained. Hughes Fire, 56% contained, 10,396 acres burned. Border Two Fire, 10% contained, 4,250 acres burned. The Laguna, Sepulveda, Clay, Gibble, and Gilman fires have burned under 100 acres each and have over 60% containment. 28 fatalities have been confirmed as a result of the fires.
Response Data: According to Cal Fire, more than 15,000 personnel, including firefighters, law enforcement, and other emergency personnel have been mobilized to combat the wildfires. In the state, the Local and State Fire Departments, the United States Forest Service, the United States Navy, Local and state Law Enforcement, California National Guard, aid from Ventura, Orange, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties, FEMA, California Department of Corrections, and many more have been responded to the call for aid. Over half a thousand fire fighting vehicles have been mobilized for Palisades fire and the Eaton Fire, respectively. California has also received assistance from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Montanna, Texas, Canada, and Mexico. 60 teams have arrived from Oregon, 45 from Washington, 15 from Utah, 10 from New Mexico, 10 fire engines, and emergency personnel from texas. Canada has sent firefighters, helicopters, and aircraft. Mexico has dispatched firefighters from their agencies. Aid has also been offered by Ukraine, along with the Iranian Red Crescent humanitarian organization.
Local Response: Los Angeles had expected fires to break out as a result of the winds. LAFD had prepositioned resources to respond to possible fires in high risk zones. LA County also prepared firefighters to respond in case it was needed. According to LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone in an interview with the New York Times, “The L.A. County Fire Department was prepared for one or two major brush fires, not four.” As the fires grew, the LA County Fire Department put out a call for aid from various counties across the state. Off duty firefighters from the LAFD and County were called into action, with teams from Orange and Ventura counties being sent to aid. Urban hydrants weren’t meant to fight wildfires, they just couldn’t hold the amount of water that was demanded to put out the hundreds of burning buildings. In a panel held by the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability, Greg Pierce stated, “No amount of water, in general terms, could have stopped these wildfires.” He soon added, “It’s important to understand that urban water systems are not designed to fight wildfires. They are designed to fight sort of urban or structural everyday fires, but the expectation on them, traditionally, has not been to be able to fight wildfires.”
As a result of the strain, hydrants quickly went dry or lost pressure. Eventually, water tankers were used to deliver water to fighter fighters. Still, local fire departments play an essential role in the fight. Local Law Enforcement played a role in assisting in managing the evacuations, and now they play a larger role alongside state law enforcement and the National Guard in ensuring that curfews are respected and property remains protected from looting.
State Response: California had moved 110 engines and hundreds of firefighters in preparation for the strong Santa Ana winds. When the fires began, state resources were called upon to assist. CAL FIRE began to call upon even more resources as the intensity and direness of the situation increased. As of January 15, 2025, California has deployed 1,490+ engines, 80+ aircraft, 200+ dozers, and 210+ water tenders. CAL FIRE is currently active in the Eaton and Palisades fire, playing a major role in combat. Additionally, incarcerated firefighters are playing a large role in physically fighting the wildfires and making sure they cannot spread. The National Guard has also been deployed to assist in fire fighting and ensuring property is protected. The Rose Bowl has been transformed into a staging and command area for first responders.
Governor Gavin Newsom has also taken an active role in the Los Angeles Wildfires. On Tuesday 7th, Newsom declared a state of emergency, and quickly secured a disaster declaration from President Biden that would expand support in the response. Additionally, Newsom secured federal aid from President Biden in getting the Federal Government to cover 100% of California’s fire management and debris removal costs for 180 days. Newsom has also continued to direct more state firefighting resources to Los Angeles, with over 16,000+ personnel being deployed from state, federal, and local agencies. Newsom has also extended the tax filing deadlines for Los Angeles County, and has signed an executive order that would cut the red tape in rebuilding the devastated areas. Additionally, additional executive orders have been signed to allow for quickly removing debris, allowing more temporary housing, restricting price gouging, protecting land from real-estate speculators, barring evictions of tenants housing wildfire victims, and an executive order that allows wildfire displaced students to attend school outside their district.
The California State Legislature has proposed new legislation that would speed up recovery and reconstruction. Newsom has proposed providing $2.5 billion to support ongoing response efforts and to start recovery efforts. Several prominent California government officials have been assisting in the wildfires. Senator Adam Schiff has pushed for an independent commission for investigating the cause of wildfires while also assisting in serving meals to first responders at the Rose Bowl. Former Vice President Harris has also visited Los Angeles after the inauguration with President Biden. Her home in Brentwood was under mandatory evacuation, and she spent the day meeting with first responders and volunteering with the World Central Kitchen to deliver food. California’s second Senator, Alex Padilla has introduced legislation that would increase pay for firefighters and create housing for those affected by the disasters, the Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act which would provide wildfire assistance and affordable housing for California. Another bill introduced is the Fire Suppression and Response Funding Assurance Act, which would increase the aid FEMA provides for fire fighting tools before a disaster hits, to better respond to disasters. Senator Padilla also plans to reintroduce the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act which would raise wages for federal firefighters.
Federal Response: President Biden quickly responded to calls by Governor Newsom in the wake of the wildfires, quickly granting Newsom’s request for federal assistance, also deciding to travel to Los Angeles to meet with California leadership and be debriefed on the situation. President Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration that opens up federal programs and funds for emergency and permanent responses. President Biden also increased the Federal Cost Share for the Disaster Declaration, which is how much the State and the Federal Government would pay, respectively. The Federal Government will cover 100% of costs for a 180 day period. President Biden has also instructed the Army Corps of Engineers to remove hazardous debris, the Marine Corp to provide food and water distribution along with search and rescue, and more.
FEMA has opened up emergency shelters to provide temporary shelter for those affected, and has opened up applications for Federal Aid, including FEMA’s Serious Needs Assistance Program, which provided a one time payment of $770 for essentials, like clothing. FEMA has also warned people to take caution if they are setting up GoFundMe campaigns if you’ve been affected by the wildfires. Donations received by these campaigns can affect how much money you are eligible to receive from Federal Disaster Relief. To learn more about Federal Aid, visit FEMA’s website or https://www.disasterassistance.gov/.
Other Federal agencies are on the ground to assist in combating the Los Angeles Wildfires. The United States Forest Service has deployed engines and firefighters to assist in the State and Local response. The Department of Defense has also been asked by President Biden to deploy firefighting teams.
President Biden has urged Congress to pass legislation that would provide relief to those affected by the California wildfires. Several bills have been proposed, but several Republicans, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, have floated the idea that conditions must be placed upon aid such as raising the Federal Debt Ceiling, or until environmental policy changes are made. This follows an attack President Elect Trump has made, blaming California for not doing enough to prepare for wildfires. Governor Newsom and Democratic lawmakers have clapped back, calling it an attempt to politicize the wildfires, and have pointed out that CAL FIRE has seen a budget increase in the last few years.
Humanitarianism: Local, State, and Federal governments are not the only response to these wildfires. People have been responding. Several businesses and groups collecting donations have had to close due to the large quantity of donations they were receiving. Organizations such as the Y.M.C.A have stated that money donations are more useful than physical goods, but other places still request goods. It is important to ensure that the organization a person plans to donate to is trusted and legitimate. Additionally, researching what organizations are requesting is important before you donate.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has compiled a list of resources for those who have been displaced, along with donation opportunities for those willing to give. Many local businesses have offered free or reduced prices for customers that have been affected by the wildfires or for first responders. The following are resources for those affected by the wildfires: LA Times LAHSA LA Eater KCRW
Aftermath: California will rebuild. CAL FIRE has stated that, as of January 22nd, 2025, 15,798 structures have been destroyed in the wildfires. Construction costs are expected to rise out of the demand for reconstruction. Additionally, rents are forecasted to increase as demand for apartments increases to house displaced people. Car prices may also see an increase as people begin to shop to replace their cars they lost in the fires. Estimates for the total damage and economic loss from the Los Angeles wildfires have been placed between $250-275 Billion. Additionally, rain could cause an even greater problem than it could cause. After land is burned, a burn scar remains. That land is able to capture less water, increasing the risk of runoff, and as a result of the fires having burned vegetation that hold in the ground, mudslides have more of a risk of occurring. In a panel held by the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability, panelist Alex Hall stated, “The land [after a fire] is de-neutered of vegetation and vegetation plays an anchoring effect in soils. And when we have wildfires and then we have a big rain event we can have mudslides.” LA Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency order to combat this threat, calling on city workers to shore up hillsides, reinforce roads, and clear debris from drainage channels in flood prone areas of the city. Still, recovery from the damage and devastation caused by the fires will take time.
“The road ahead is difficult but California is doing all we can to help Los Angeles rebuild and move forward.” – Governor Gavin Newsom