Wind-driven wildfires swept through Los Angeles County this week, leaving at least five people dead, destroying more than 1,000 structures, and forcing over 100,000 residents to evacuate. Firefighters battled three major blazes across the region, fueled by the notorious Santa Ana winds that reached speeds of up to 100 mph, making firefighting efforts nearly impossible at times.
"This morning, we woke up to a dark cloud over all of Los Angeles," said L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. "But it is darkest for those who are most intimately impacted by these fires. It has been an immensely painful 24 hours."
The fires, which began Tuesday, engulfed affluent neighborhoods from Pacific Palisades to Pasadena. The Palisades Fire has already been declared the most destructive in Los Angeles history, surpassing the 2008 Sayre Fire that destroyed over 600 structures. As of Wednesday, the Palisades Fire alone had razed more than 1,000 buildings, including homes, grocery stores, banks, and local landmarks.
Images from the devastation showed once-luxurious homes reduced to ash, swimming pools filled with soot, and cars melted into unrecognizable shapes. The flames have consumed approximately 42 square miles, nearly the size of San Francisco.
Among those forced to flee were Hollywood stars like Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore, and James Woods, whose Pacific Palisades home was surrounded by flames. "Every house around us was on fire," Woods told CNN. "It was like an inferno."
Evacuation efforts were chaotic as fast-moving flames left residents with little time to react. Roads quickly became clogged with abandoned vehicles, forcing emergency crews to use bulldozers to clear paths for firefighting equipment. Residents of a senior living center in Pasadena were pushed in wheelchairs and hospital beds to safety.
Jennie Girardo, a producer and director from Pasadena, described the surreal scene. "When I opened my door, it smelled like I was living inside of a fireplace," she said. "And I've never seen that in my life. Like raining ash."
President Joe Biden declared a federal emergency early Thursday, unlocking federal resources to aid California's response. Governor Gavin Newsom deployed over 1,400 firefighting personnel and mobilized the National Guard to assist. "California has quickly secured a Major Disaster Declaration," Newsom wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "We're immediately mobilizing life-saving and life-sustaining resources and funds across the region."
The fires disrupted daily life across Southern California. Universal Studios suspended filming for several productions, including Hacks and Ted Lasso, and postponed the Critics Choice Awards and other Hollywood events. The Los Angeles Kings' NHL game was also canceled, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena announced it would remain closed until January 13 due to mandatory evacuation orders.
The fires also severely impacted local infrastructure. More than 315,000 customers lost power as Southern California Edison shut off service to mitigate fire risks. The LA Metro suspended fares after intermittent outages disrupted the ticketing system.
Air quality across the region plummeted as the fires blanketed Southern California with a thick haze of smoke and ash. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued advisories for 17 million residents. Dr. Puneet Gupta of the L.A. County Fire Department warned of the health risks, saying, "Wildfire smoke causes heart attacks and worsens asthma, while burning homes can release cyanide and carbon dioxide."
Climate change continues to extend and intensify California's wildfire season, which traditionally runs from June through October. The combination of rising temperatures and declining rainfall has delayed the rains that usually end the season, allowing fires to burn into the winter months. This year, Southern California has received less than 0.1 inches of rain since May.
The Palisades Fire alone has caused preliminary damages estimated between $52 billion and $57 billion, according to AccuWeather. With containment at zero percent for all three major fires, officials warned that the situation remains dire.
"We are absolutely not out of danger yet," said Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley. "These fires are stretching the capacity of emergency services to their maximum limits."
As the flames continue to spread, residents are left grappling with loss and uncertainty. "When you look at the grand scheme of things, as long as your family is well and everyone's alive, you're still winning, right?" said Teddy Leonard, whose Malibu restaurant, the Reel Inn, was destroyed in the fire.
