By Joseph Hammann, Staff Writer

At the start of January, many wildfires spread throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area and the surrounding region. 

The fires have caused over 205,000 people to evacuate their homes. The fire destroyed over 12,000 structures worth up to $57 billion and burned over 40,000 acres. The main cause of the wildfires is under investigation, but investigators have found links to a ridgeline in western Los Angeles, where there was a New Year’s Eve ceremony with fireworks. 

The damage of the wildfires has been exacerbated by hurricane-force winds, low humidity, long periods of drought, and a build-up of vegetation. Other investigations point towards electrical grid disruptions at nearby utility towers. 

“It’s scary being away, not knowing immediately what’s happening,” California native and sophomore business major Danny Marsh said. “I’m from San Diego, which isn’t getting as much attention as LA, but still within the possibility of danger.”

The Storm Protection Center, a U.S. governmental organization dedicated to predicting and avoiding natural disasters, forecasted a critical risk of fire weather prior to the fires start. Unhealthy air quality and such warnings have been in effect every day since the fires began on. Los Angeles and Ventura counties have issued extreme warnings for everyone in the region. Prior to the start of the fires, Southern California had been undergoing their driest start to a rainy season and driest nine-month weather period on record. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom called various fire engines, helicopters, water tenders, and hundreds of workers to prepare in case another fire begun.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass warned residents that the windstorm could be one of the harshest in over a decade and to avoid knocked downed power lines. Various nearby school districts have closed for safety concerns or limit outdoor activities when the winds picked up. Every Los Angeles water infrastructure tank was filled to prepare for disaster as well. 

A total of 31 wildfires have developed throughout the Los Angeles area with the largest being the Palisades and Eaton fires, which are burning 23,000 and 14,000 acres respectively. Roughly 27 deaths have been reported from the wildfires, all of which were from either the Palisades or Eaton Fires. 

The Palisades fire has gone on to become the most destructive fire in the Los Angeles history, surpassing the Sayre Fire of 2008 and Bel Air Fire of 1961. Various popular sites such as The Reel Inn, The Palisades Charter High School, The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, the Altadena Community Church, The Belmont Music Publishers company building and thousands of more structures have all been destroyed from just the Palisades Fire alone. 

Celebrities such as Beyonce, Billy Crystal, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Goodman, Anthony Hopkins, Paris Hilton, and many others have all reported losing their homes from the wildfires in the area. However, many Los Angeles landlords raised the cost of rent by approximately 15-20%, doubling in some areas and causing many homeless people in the area to struggle to find places to stay, violating California price gouging laws. Though some hotels in the area are offering discounted rates to displaced individuals. 

As of Jan. 20 2025, the Palisades and Eaton fires are the only two remaining active fires, both of which are halfway to being completely extinguished.