Unstoppable wildfires fueled by climate change devastate lives and landmarks in Southern California

The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures, officials said as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.

The Kenneth Fire started in the San Fernando Valley on January 9, just 2 miles from a school serving as a shelter for evacuees from another fire. It moved into neighboring Ventura County but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.

About 400 firefighters remained on the scene overnight to guard against the fire flaring up.

Only hours before the Kenneth Fire roared to life officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s two devastating wildfires.

The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started on January 7 has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings, and vehicles. Firefighters were able to establish the first bit of containment on January 9.

To the west in Pacific Palisades, the largest of the fires burning in the LA area has destroyed over 5,300 structures and firefighters had no containment.

All of the major fires that have broken out are located in a roughly 25-mile band north of downtown Los Angeles, spreading a sense of fear and sadness across the nation’s second-largest city. No cause has been identified for the largest fires.

Several weather monitoring agencies announced on January 10 that Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024. “Hurricane Helene, floods in Spain, and the weather whiplash fueling wildfires in California are symptoms of this unfortunate climate gear shift,” University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd said.

The level of devastation is jarring even in a state that has grown used to massive wildfires. A large portion of scenic Pacific Palisades has been obliterated. Dozens of blocks in the seaside neighborhood were flattened to smoldering rubble. In neighboring Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.

At least five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks, and groceries were burned. So too were the Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House and Topanga Ranch Motel, local landmarks dating to the 1920s.

The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage or specifics about how many structures burned.

AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact, on January 9 increased its estimate of the damage and economic loss to $135-$150 billion.

Firefighters made significant gains on January 9 at slowing the spread of the major fires, but containment remained far out of reach.

Crews also knocked down a blaze in the Hollywood Hills with the help of water drops from aircraft, allowing an evacuation to be lifted on January 9. The fire that sparked near the heart of the entertainment industry came perilously close to igniting the famed Hollywood Bowl outdoor concert venue.

THE ENORMITY OF THE DESTRUCTION EMERGES

Hurricane-force winds blew embers that ignited hillsides. It has been impossible to quantify the extent of the destruction other than “total devastation and loss,” said Barbara Bruderlin, head of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce.

“There are areas where everything is gone, there isn’t even a stick of wood left, it’s just dirt,” Bruderlin said.

Of the 10 deaths so far, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley confirmed two were in the Palisades Fire. County officials said the Eaton Fire had killed five. Cadaver dogs and crews are searching through rubble to see if there are more victims.

Two of the dead were Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his son, Justin, who had cerebral palsy. They were waiting for an ambulance to come and did not make it to safety when the flames roared through, Mitchell’s daughter, Hajime White, told The Washington Post.

Shari Shaw told KTLA that she tried to get her 66-year-old brother, Victor Shaw, to evacuate on January 7 but he wanted to stay and fight the fire. Crews found his body with a garden hose in his hand.

On January 9, recovery crews pulled a body from rubble of what was a beachfront residence in Malibu. A charred washer and dryer were among the few things that remained identifiable in the home along the Pacific Coast Highway.

THERE HAVE BEEN EVACUATIONS, SCHOOL CLOSURES AND ARRESTS

At least 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, and the fires have consumed about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers), which is roughly the size of San Francisco. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history.

All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest, were closed again on January 10 because of the heavy smoke wafting over the city and ash raining down in parts.

At least 20 arrests have been made for looting. The city of Santa Monica, which is next to Pacific Palisades, declared a curfew because of the lawlessness, officials said.

National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles on January 9. They will be stationed near fire-ravaged areas to protect property.

ACTORS AMONG THOSE WHO LOST HOMES

Many celebrities live in areas devastated by fire. Among those who lost their homes were Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore, and Paris Hilton.

Jamie Lee Curtis pledged $1 million to start a “fund of support” for those affected by the fires that touched all economic levels from the city’s wealthy to its working class.

STATE SEEING A LONGER FIRE SEASON

California’s wildfire season is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change, according to recent data.

Dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more than 0.1 inches (2.5 millimeters) of rain since early May.

SOME LOSSES FEEL GREATER THAN OTHERS

Robert Lara sifted through the remains of his home in Altadena on January 9 with tears in his eyes, hoping to find a safe containing a set of earrings that once belonged to his great-great-grandmother.

“All our memories, all our sentimental attachments, things that were gifted from generation to generation to generation are now gone,” he said.