What we know about fires in the LA area, what caused them, who is affected and more

On January 21, 2025By Littum

Fueled by strong winds and dry conditions, a number of violent wildfires broke out on Jan. 7 and roared across the Los Angeles area, killing at least 27 people, including some who died trying to stop the fires from engulfing their homes and destroying thousands of structures.

A Los Angeles County fire official said a myriad of significant injuries were associated with two of the fires, and a Los Angeles city official described the night of Jan. 7 as “one of the most devastating and frightening” she had seen in her corner of town.

Here’s what we know about the fires.

Where are the fires?

The Palisades Fire broke out on the morning of January 7 in Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles neighborhood east of Malibu, as a brush fire. The fire, which had grown to 23,713 hectares, was 59% contained Monday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protectionknown as Cal Fire. Cal Fire said the fire probably damaged or destroyed more than 6,000 structures.

The Eaton fire ignited hours after the Palisades Fire near a canyon in the sprawling national forest area north of downtown Los Angeles. It had exploded to 14,021 acres and was 87% contained by Monday morning, according to Cal Fire. The agency has reported that more than 10,300 structures have been confirmed damaged or destroyed in the fire.

A firefighter battles the Palisades fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. — A firefighter battles the Palisades fire in Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles on January 11.Jae C. Hong / AP

As firefighters battled the largest fires, additional fires broke out in the Los Angeles area. Crews were able to stop the forward spread and contain the flames.

As of Friday evening, the Lidia, Archer, Woodley, Sunset, Kenneth, Hurst and Auto fires were 100% contained and no longer considered active, according to Cal Fire. Between them, the fires burned 2,399 acres.

Have there been deaths and injuries?

As of Thursday afternoon, at least 27 people had died in the fires, according to Los Angeles County officials.

The county medical examiner is still investigating many of the deaths. The department noted that it cannot confirm human remains until it processes them at its facility.

At least 17 of the deaths were in the Eaton fire and 10 in the Palisades fire, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The medical examiner’s office said it could take weeks to confirm the identities of those killed.

Officials have warned that the death toll could rise.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said a significant number of people who did not follow evacuation orders have been injured in the Palisades fire. He also said there has been significant damage in the Eaton fire.

How many people are affected?

At one point, close to 200,000 people were under evacuation orders as crews tried to battle the fires. By Tuesday morning, the number had dropped to about 88,000, with another 84,800 in evacuation warning zones throughout Los Angeles County.

On Thursday, officials announced limited repopulation for some areas evacuated amid the Palisades and Eaton fires.

The fires have destroyed entire neighborhoods and blocks and left an unknown number of people homeless.

How much damage have the fires done?

Insured losses from last week’s fires could exceed $20 billion, and total economic losses could reach $50 billion, according to estimates published by JPMorgan on Thursday.

Kevin Marshall searches his mother's fire-ravaged property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 11. — Kevin Marshall searches his mother’s fire-ravaged property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 11. John Locher / AP

Those losses would far exceed the $12.5 billion in insured claims from 2018 Campfirewhich until now was the most expensive brand in the country’s history, according to data from Aon.

What led to the fires?

The official cause of the fires has not been determined.

The combination of drought-like conditions — Southern California has had less than 10% of average precipitation since Oct. 1 — and strong offshore winds that hit the region last week produced fire weather that was, in the words of the National Weather Service“about as bad as it gets.”

The agency issued a red flag warning – indicating an increased risk of fire danger – to 19 million people. Wind gusts of up to 70 mph were recorded in several places in the region.

A vehicle is covered in fire retardant as crews battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles on January 11. Eric Thayer/AP

Climate scientist Daniel Swain pointed to the vagaries of weather California has experienced in recent years — between drought and heavy rainfall — and said such fluctuations are a key element of the fire weather gripping the region.

“It’s not just that drier conditions are consistently more likely in a warming climate,” he said, according to Inside Climate News. “It’s that this oscillation back and forth between states is something that is particularly consequential for wildfire risk in Southern California.”