One Year After Twin Infernos, Los Angeles County Continues to Bear the Scars
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A year after twin infernos tore across opposite ends of Los Angeles County, the scars are still visible. Thousands of homes were reduced to rubble, rebuilding has been slow, and the death toll underscored how wildfires under extreme weather conditions can become catastrophic.
The Palisades and Eaton fires exploded in size within hours of each other on Jan. 7, 2025. The following figures illustrate how rapidly the disaster unfolded and the devastating toll it left behind:
90 miles per hour
The speed of predicted wind gusts in mountain areas, equivalent to 145 kilometers per hour. Red Flag warnings were issued on Jan. 6 for severe wildfire danger as Southern California was buffeted by the region’s notorious Santa Ana winds. Grass and brush were tinder dry after months with little or no rain. The National Weather Service warned it could be a life-threatening wind event. Firefighting assets were pre-positioned in areas deemed especially high risk for fires.
4 hours
The time it took for a small wildfire to explode in size. At 10:30 a.m., reports began coming in about a small blaze on a ridge in LA’s upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood — the same area where crews had responded to a fire on New Year’s Day. Before long, a large plume of dark smoke was visible from miles away.
Shortly after 11 a.m. on Jan. 7, the revived fire was reported to cover about 10 acres (4 hectares), located near Palisades Drive on the coastal neighborhood’s western edge. Over the next two hours, roads became jammed with motorists trying to flee as flames roared down streets and decimated homes.
Officials issued an evacuation order for the Palisades while warning residents of surrounding areas to prepare to leave. Within hours, the blaze had rapidly grown.
Simultaneous Fires Across the County
While firefighting resources focused on the Palisades, another blaze was sparked about 30 miles to the east in Altadena, on the other end of Los Angeles County. The Eaton Fire started at 6:17 p.m., and all firefighting aircraft in the county were soon grounded due to high winds. By 8 p.m., the fire had doubled in size.
59 square miles
The total land charred by the two infernos, equivalent to 155 square kilometers—roughly the size of the entire city of San Francisco.
31 lives lost
The number of people who died: 19 in the Eaton Fire and 12 in the Palisades Fire.
Duration of the Fires
- 31 days: How long the Palisades Fire burned before it was extinguished. Investigators determined the 37-square-mile blaze had actually grown out of the earlier fire that started on Jan. 1.
- 25 days: The number of days it took for the Eaton Fire to be extinguished. It burned 22 square miles.
$33.9 billion
The amount of federal disaster aid requested by Gov. Gavin Newsom. As of now, the Trump administration and Congress have yet to approve it.
Legal Proceedings
A 29-year-old man charged with sparking the Palisades Fire faces up to 45 years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty. The cause of the Eaton Fire remains under investigation.
Structures Destroyed
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), a total of 16,246 structures were destroyed in both blazes.
- In Altadena, 9,413 homes, businesses, and other buildings were razed.
- In Pacific Palisades and neighboring areas including Malibu, 6,833 buildings, mostly homes, were lost.
Rebuilding Efforts
So far, only 10 houses have been rebuilt according to city and county data. Most are in the Altadena area, with one in Pasadena and two in Pacific Palisades. No homes have been finished in Malibu. Hundreds more are under construction across the region.
Charitable Contributions
The total charitable commitments to Los Angeles fire relief range between at least $860 million and $970 million, according to a study by the Milken Institute. Most funds were raised in the first month after the fires, with individual donations through GoFundMe bringing in $265 million.
This story has been updated to correct the date the two fires erupted to Jan. 7, 2025, not Jan. 6, 2024.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/01/06/los-angeles-wildfires-year-later/
