Starting with the Palisades Fire on January 7th, 2025, at 10:30am, California has been ravaged by several wildfires – the Eaton Fire, the Hurst Fire, the Lidia Fire, the Kenneth Fire, the Sunset Fire, the Lilac Fire, and the Pala Fire – which have caused unimaginable damage to the affected communities (New York Post, 2025; NOAA, 2025). Currently, over 37,000 acres of land have been burned, and over 88,000 people have been affected. As of January 22nd, the Palisades, Eaton, Lilac, and Pala are the most significant active ones.
California has experienced many wildfires over the past decades due to various reasons, such as climate change, arson attacks, and unsafe utility equipment (Cart, 2025). However, certain factors lead to a quick spread of wildfires: little water within vegetation, low humidity, and strong winds of at least 15mph. When these three factors are present simultaneously, a red flag warning is administered, and it becomes crucial for people to prepare to evacuate (NOAA, 2025).
The current effects of the fires are devastating. For example, even though the Palisades fire was the first to start, it is still only 68% contained while being 23,448 acres large. Overall, 37,794 acres and over 15,000 structures have been burned. At the same time, over 88,000 people have been evacuated, and at least 25 innocents have been found dead (NOAA, 2025). Unfortunately, even when these fires are tamed, there are still many consequences to come, both health and environmental. The surplus of smoke in the air creates an overflow of carbon in the air, which not only creates air problems for residents but also contributes to climate change. Moreover, over 163 million trees have been burned in the wildfires, making the land more susceptible to erosion. To make matters worse, many insurance companies have either cut off their clients or increased their prices in the face of the wildfires, leaving many struggling to take care of the damages (Cart, 2025).
With the constant problems resulting from the wildfires, people desperately need support. One of the best ways one can extend a hand is by donating blood and/or money to the Red Cross by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767), texting the word CAWILDFIRES to 90999, or downloading Red Cross Blood Donor App. Also, people near the affected areas can offer to help by visiting https://www.redcross.org/volunteer. Although the Red Cross is not accepting good donations, people can call 211 or visit https://211la.org/LA-Wildfires to find organizations that will accept these items (Red Cross, 2025).
The situation in California is absolutely heartbreaking, but there are many ways to stay aware. The NOAA website offers maps of various wildfires in California for people to follow along with the progress (US Department of Commerce et al., n.d.). Furthermore, it is important to practice fire prevention strategies, such as refraining from using wood as a building material and clearing flammable vegetation (especially invasive plants) at least 100ft from houses in wildfire-affected areas (Cart, 2025). May the fires end soon so that people may return to everyday lives again.
References
Cart, J. (2025, January 8). Wildfires in January? Here’s why California wildfire season is worse. CalMatters. https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-wildfire-season-worsening-explained/
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. (2025, January 21). NOAA Satellites Monitor Raging Wildfires in California. https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaa-satellites-monitor-raging-wildfires-california
New York Post. (2025, January 21). California wildfires break out overnight in San Diego County, prompting officials to issue evacuation orders. https://nypost.com/2025/01/21/us-news/wildfires-break-out-in-san-diego-county-with-evacuations-underway-buildings-threatened/
Red Cross. (2025). Red Cross helping as fires destroy entire California neighborhoods. https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/press-release/2025/red-cross-helping-in-southern-california-as-wildfires-force-thousands-from-their-homes.html
The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (2025). Palisades Fire. Ca.gov. https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/palisades-fire
US Department of Commerce, Office of Satellite and Product Operations, National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, & National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. (n.d.). NOAA’s Office of Satellite and Product Operations. Www.ospo.noaa.gov. https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/land/hms.html
