On Jan. 7, 2025, the Los Angeles (LA) fires began, and have rapidly grown encompassing over 37,000 acres as of Jan. 12, 2025. The fires have spread across LA County, leaving regions such as Pasadena, Altadena and Malibu ablaze.
These LA fires have been dubbed as the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Kenneth fires. The Palisades Fire is currently the largest of the four, and has set over 23,000 acres on fire on its own. According to Cal Fire, the Palisades Fire is 13 percent contained.
So far, there are 24 people who died as a result of the destructive wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Around 180,000 people have been forced to evacuate, and thousands of structures have been destroyed.
Wildfire smoke advisories were implemented for many areas in Southern California, extending throughout northern LA County, Orange County and the Inland Empire. Overall, fire and smoke threat remain “very high” as Santa Ana winds continue blowing northeast.
The Palisades Fire — touted as “the most destructive [fire] in the history of Los Angeles” — is affecting both the Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Evacuation orders were also sent out to areas near Altadena and Pasadena.
Currently contained at 27 percent, the Eaton Fire has almost completely burnt down Altadena. This small town is native to some of the most historic Black and minority communities in LA. According to NBC LA, “During the Civil Rights era, Altadena became a rare land of opportunity for Black Americans to reach middle class without the discriminatory practices of denying them access to credit … Today, the Black home ownership rate there is at 81.5%, almost double the national rate.”

As a result of the fire, Altedena is also dealing with a plethora of infrastructural issues. According to NewsNation, “the area is dealing with a water system issue, resulting in unsafe drinking water and a lacking supply. Power outages are widespread as well.”
An article from the LA Times claims that the total economic toll of the fires will reach to the tens of billions of dollars, with one estimate being between $52 billion and $57 billion. Meanwhile, another article from Investopedia estimated the losses to be between $135 billion and $150 billion.
The cause of the fires in LA are still unknown. Various causes are under investigation, and LA Fire Department Chief Kristen Crowley shared, “As soon as we have information, we will share that with all of you. I know there’s obviously, for the right reason, a lot of interest in that.”
According to experts, the severity of the fire is due to severe winds and dry vegetation in the area, leading to the area’s increased vulnerability. The lack of rain in recent months further created an area in LA which was “covered by fire-prone growth.”
After conducting a set of interviews with experts in the field, NBC News explored the possibility of human actions being the cause of the fires. While the experts did admit this is a possibility, it was most likely not set on purpose. The reason being because they consider the area to be “inaccessible, rugged terrain,” and that “arsonists usually aren’t going to go 500 feet off a trailhead through trees and brush, set a fire and then run away.” At the end, they concluded that answers as to the cause of the fire will not come any time soon, and that a lengthy investigation still needs to follow.
Since the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is affected by the Palisades and Eaton Fires, a statement was released by Chancellor Julio to the Bruin community on Jan. 11, 2025. In the chancellor’s message, Frenk announced that their Academic Senate “approve[s] extending remote instruction for undergraduate and graduate courses through Friday, January 17.”