Wildfires Devastate California

Soha Shah • May 23, 2025

Los Angeles County’s wildfire conditions have made the most recent California wildfires destructive enough for mass media attention. During an abnormally warm 2024 in Southern California, vegetation that had grown due to the two preceding wet seasons had dried, and on Jan. 7, sudden strong winds from Santa Ana ignited the Palisades Fire in the Santa Monica Mountains (CBS News). The fire destroyed 6,837 structures and burned 23,713 acres of land in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and Malibu (Cal Fire). The wildfire is the third most destructive in California’s recorded wildfire history, and has left damage that will take years to repair (Cal Fire). Along with the thousands of homes that have been ravaged by the fire, a number of restaurants, schools, and churches have been lost (CBS News).

The Palisades Fire ignited in a shrubland area, which, scientists observe, would not have contained an adequate amount of fire fuel for a wildfire to start (Heatmap). Since there have been no natural ignition sources, such as lava or lightning, and because wildfires in the winter are not very typical, human activity has been heavily speculated as being the cause of the LA County fires (LA Times). Currently, there is an investigation being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on potential human causes of the Palisades Fire, as well as the origins of other fires. It was reported by evacuees to have erupted mere blocks away from where the Lachman Fire burned six days prior. Although the cause of the fire still remains uncertain, scientists heavily speculate that the Lachman Fire could have been reignited into the Palisades Fire due to the Santa Ana winds, as this is common with wildfires in western states (CBS News).

Besides the Palisades, two large fires have burned in LA County: the Eaton and the Hughes Fires. The Eaton fire, the second largest after the Palisades at 14,000 acres, burned in the Altadena area of LA County and destroyed 7,500 structures, including businesses, churches, countless homes and a historic African American community. Schools near the fire in Pasadena began to reopen in late January (Pasadena Now). The Hughes Fire, which burned near Castaic Lake at 10,000 acres, grew rapidly due to the continued heavy winds, which firefighters struggled with across LA County. No reports of damaged structures or injuries as a result of the Hughes Fire were made by officials. Although the Hughes Fire was contained, it was expected by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to evolve, given how quickly it grew in just days (CBS News). At least 29 people are believed to have died (ABC News).

The destruction caused by such rapidly growing and destructive wildfires highlighted the general ill-preparedness of the systems in place in LA County to fight fires. Empty fire hydrants were an issue faced by the LA Fire Department on Jan. 14, due to the heavy demand for water to fight the massive Palisades Fire. The storage system in the Pacific Palisades was not built to transport the amounts of water that were needed (The New York Times). Former LA County Fire Chief Kristin Crowley addressed this by stating that the LAFD would not be utilizing the fire hydrants, as water drops from aircraft were currently more effective. Former Chief Crowley and LA Mayor Karen Bass have been engaging in a public argument over the lack of water, budget cuts and inadequate equipment given to the LAFD (The Guardian).

Panic has also contributed to the spat on social media. Images generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and resurfaced old videos of past fires in other areas have now gone viral. In addition, there have been online conspiracy theories and speculation regarding geoengineered weather, directed energy weapons, and dried up reservoirs. To address this misinformation, governor Gavin Newsom posted to his X account a link to a website for official information on the fires.

The various forms of aid for the victims of the LA County wildfires includes Peninsula's own charity drive, organized by ASB. Senior ASB member Katie Marley, along with the ASB publicity commissioners, were able to maximize the amount of donations they received with a variety of methods.

“Using the school’s Instagram page, the daily bulletin and the principal’s update helped to get the message out literally overnight,” Marley said. “Overall, the advertising tools were what made the drive successful.”

For the first week after the Palisades Fire was ignited, Peninsula students and parents donated items at basketball games and at the Attendance office which were to be donated to the “It’s Bigger than Us LA” foundation. Olivia Rasic, a junior ASB member, observes the success of the drive, indicating the sheer amount of donations that accumulated in the ASB classroom.

“[The drive] was way more successful than I originally anticipated,” Rasic said. “When you look [in the ASB room], there’s just bags and bags of stuff. It makes you feel like you’re doing your part.”