The rapid spread of wildfires across the Los Angeles region has forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. The two main blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires, have been fueled by weather conditions, and their origins are still under investigation. These areas, known as the wildland-urban interface (WUI), are becoming increasingly dangerous as climate change fuels more intense fires.
The WUI zones are particularly susceptible to wildfires due to the combination of open space, parks, and houses. Crystal Kolden, the director of the Fire Resilience Center at the University of California, Merced, explains that many of the houses and subdivisions in these areas are surrounded by highly flammable shrubs and trees. Despite the risks, more people are choosing to live in the WUI. Research shows that between 1990 and 2010, 25 million people moved there and 12.7 million homes were built.
The recent wildfires have already claimed at least five lives and damaged at least 1,100 buildings in Los Angeles County, the most populous US county. The Palisades fire, a devastating wind-driven brush fire in Pacific Palisades, spread to 15,800 acres as of Wednesday afternoon with zero containment. The blaze destroyed about 1,000 structures, including many expensive homes built between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, and forced thousands to flee with new evacuation warnings issued for Malibu.
The death toll in Los Angeles has risen to 10, with the fire destroying over 10,000 structures. The Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted that the forward rate of spread has been stopped for the Kenneth Fire, which is now 35% contained. The governor also warned against looting in evacuated communities in Los Angeles County.
The wildfires have also disrupted the lives of many residents. An Altadena woman who evacuated with her husband and two daughters as the Eaton Fire swallowed the area fears her grandmother is among the people killed in the blaze. Her 83-year-old grandmother, who lives with them, refused to evacuate. As they drove away from their house and her grandmother, she called her father in a last-ditch effort to save her grandmother from the fire.
The fires have also caused significant damage to the infrastructure. The Palisades wildfire alone is expected to be the costliest in history, according to climate scientist Daniel Swain. The City of Pasadena issued an urgent alert concerning unsafe drinking water in areas impacted by recent evacuations due to the Eaton Fire. The excessive smoke and ash have caused air quality to plummet to hazardous levels across parts of the region.
The wildfires have also affected the education sector. All schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District will be closed. The district will announce a decision by 4:00 p.m. PT on whether schools will be open Friday, while all schools in Pasadena will be closed for the rest of the week. In the Palisades, two schools have been burnt to the ground.
The wildfires have also impacted the entertainment industry. Several celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, and Adam Brody, have lost their homes in the blaze. The Hollywood Walk of Fame, the TLC Chinese Theatre, and the Hollywood Bowl have all been cleared as the blaze – dubbed the Sunset Fire – continues to wreak havoc.
The current situation is reminiscent of the 2018 California wildfires, which were among the deadliest and most destructive in California history. The fires caused billions in damages and claimed the lives of 85 people. The current wildfires, fueled by climate change and exacerbated by urban development in high-risk areas, are a stark reminder of the urgent need for effective wildfire management and climate change mitigation strategies. The state saw an exodus of insurance companies last year, with major firms saying the cost of doing business in the state was too high. State Farm General Insurance Company (SFG) — previously the largest insurer in California — announced in an open letter to the state’s commissioner of insurance that it would be winding down its coverage in March last year due to the risk.