Wildfires around Los Angeles, California began on January 7, 2025, with the Palisades fire. According to a California government website, the Palisades fire has been 14% contained and has covered 23,713 acres as of January 13, 2025. Strong winds fueled the spread of the fires and made them difficult to fight initially.
According to an NPR article, containment refers to the perimeter that firefighters create around a fire to keep it from spreading. So although a fire may be marked as fully contained, it may still be burning.
How many fires are there around Los Angeles?
According to the Cal Fire website, there are currently three active wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
- Palisades fire: The fire started on January 7, 2025, and has covered 23,717 acres. It is currently 14% contained.
- Eaton fire: The fire started on January 7, 2025, and has covered 14,117 acres. It is currently 33% contained.
- Hurst fire: The fire started on January 7, 2025, and has covered 799 acres. It is currently 95% contained.
Which California fires have been contained?
According to the Cal Fire website, three fires have been contained:
- Lidia fire: The fire broke out on January 8, 2025, and burned 395 acres. It is 100% contained.
- Kenneth fire: The fire broke out on January 9, 2025, and burned 1,052 acres. It is fully contained.
- Sunset fire: The fire broke out on January 8, 2025, and burned 43 acres. It is fully contained.
How many people have died from the California wildfires?
According to an AP article, the death toll of the wildfires is at 24, as of January 13, 2024.
Around 150,000 people are still under evacuation orders.
Has California run out of water?
Early reports stated that the Los Angeles area was running out of water to fight the fires.
Dr. Mark Gold, director, water scarcity solutions, environmental health, for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and a southern California resident, said “we have the most water stored in our reservoir system in the history of the agency,” referring to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Dr. Gold stated that the inadequacy to fight the fires came from the inability for air support to fly early in the fires due to strong Santa Ana winds and smoke, which burdened the water infrastructure on the ground.
What caused the fires?
According to an NBC News article, the official cause of the fires has not been determined.
As of January 13, 2025, investigators are still looking into what lead to the fires.
According to a National Park Service article, nearly 85% of wildfires are caused by humans. These fires can be the result of a number of things, including:
- Unattended campfires
- Burning of debris
- Equipment use and malfunctions
- Discarded cigarettes
- Acts of arson
Alex Cossin | Associate Editor
Alex Cossin is the associate editor for Waterworld Magazine, Wastewater Digest and Stormwater Solutions, which compose the Endeavor Business Media Water Group. Cossin graduated from Kent State University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. Cossin can be reached at [email protected].
