The Los Angeles fire of 2025 is one of the worst in the city’s history. It raises concerns about what steps could have been taken to minimize the damage caused by the fires and what could have caused it. Wildfires are increasing around the globe in terms of severity, frequency and duration. Wildfire smoke contains hazardous air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, ozone, aromatic hydrocarbons, and lead. This, in turn, impacts the environment with the excess emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
The current most dangerous wildfire in LA is the Palisades fire. The average wildfire burns up to 895 acres of land in a day, equivalent to half of an American football stadium every minute, but the Palisades fire flared up to 16 times the speed. The Palisades are not the only fires occurring; other fires, like the Eaton and Hughes fires, grew twenty-fold in size within hours.
Causes of the LA fires
There are many causes of wildfires, one being caused by the environment, like lightning strikes or human-related sparks from a downed power, a cigarette butt, a poorly put-out campfire or even arson. But between 1992 and 2012, 84 percent of all U.S wildfires were human-caused, and since there was no lightning in LA, the investigators are looking for a human-related fire. One potential wildfire starter could be a site where firecrackers cause a fire; sometimes, fires leave embers that the wind can reignite.
Other factors that made the fires worse
Prolonged Drought: LA has been experiencing record-breaking temperatures and severe drought conditions, which create an ideal wildfire environment for spreading and igniting.
Less rainfall: The last moderate rain, less than a quarter of an inch, was recorded in April 2024 and later only on five other days, creating another ignition source of the fires.
Santa Ana Winds: These are powerful, dry winds in LA, causing wildfires to spread over long distances.
Impacts of Wildfires
Heath Impacts: LA Wildfires, for a prolonged period, cause respiratory issues because of the delicate particulate matter and impact on the vulnerable population, including children and the elderly, as people with respiratory problems like asthma.
Economic disasters: The financial burden over the firefighting methods and property destruction that insurance must pay for and the impact on the local businesses and tourism. Rebuilding the damaged properties also causes another burden.
Water Scarcity: Post wildfires, the damage includes risks of mudslides and flooding, the issue of adequate water for firefighters and the effect on water quality and watersheds.
How wildfires reshaped LA’s map
Structural Damages: Till now, the Eaton fire has destroyed 9418 structures in Pasadena, and the Palisades fire has destroyed 6755 structures in the Pacific; these structures include residential, infrastructure, commercial, school and churches.
Physical Landscape changes: Loss of forest covers, landslides and erosions happen due to wildfires. Ash and debris can cause rivers and lakes to clog up and change the water flow or even create new shapes of the water bodies.
Cultural and Historic Losses: Fires can erase historical sites, leading to culture erasing. Some wildfires burn the sacred Indigenous sites, impacting the traditional land use.
Urban Development and Infrastructure: communities may have to relocate their entire neighborhoods and rebuild their homes. The government may have to redraw the city planning maps, mark the high-risk areas, and find new construction methods and codes. Roads getting destroyed in wildfires leads to re-planning the roads and shifting the patterns.
Steps to Minimize Damage in the Future
While wildfires are a natural part of California, they increase in intensity and duration, so steps can be taken to reduce them.
Forest management: Growing more plants and trees while controlling burns and thinning vegetation can help reduce fires.
Improving Building Regulations: Building Homes that are fire resistant through materials and planning can minimize property damage.
Advanced Fire Detection System: Using AI-driven monitors and satellites can help detect fires early, thus preventing the spread of the fires.
Public awareness campaigns: Helping residents and people understand what measures to take in case of fires and training them in evacuation drills can help save lives.
Climate Change Action: Taking more steps towards climate change through recycling or reducing greenhouses can do more than one thinks.
The LA fire stands as a reminder of the growing threats of climate change; it also shows the mistakes in the government’s planning of roads since many residents and citizens struggled to get past the traffic bottlenecks, with some forced to abandon their cars. This fire also puts small communities at risk. With 25 deaths, we need to try our best to make an impact. The lessons from this disaster should be taught to other fire-prone regions worldwide. Our choices today will determine if we can stop fires in the future or if resistant and prone cities become the norm.
References:
- Magana, N., Moore, R. and Cook, M. (2025) How and why the La wildfires grew so fast, and the takeaways for the future, Boston University. Available at: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2025/how-and-why-the-la-wildfires-grew-so-fast/#:~:text=While%20officials%20investigate%20possible%20causes,due%20to%20heavy%20wind%20conditions.
- Pappas, S. (2025) What caused the L.A. wildfires? how investigators will find out, Scientific American. Available at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-caused-the-la-wildfires-how-investigators-will-find-out/
- Mapping the damage from the Eaton and Palisades fires (2025) Los Angeles Times. Available at: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-16/mapping-los-angeles-damage-from-the-eaton-and-palisades-fires-altadena-pasadena
- Rigdon, R. and Wilson, R. (2025) Tracking the damage from the Los Angeles wildfire in maps, CNN. Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/us/maps-damage-los-angeles-wildfires-dg/index.html
Image References:
- Firefighter standing in burnt auditorium (Website) https://edition.cnn.com/us/maps-damage-los-angeles-wildfires-dg/index.html
- Lost Property grief by a citizen (Website) https://edition.cnn.com/us/maps-damage-los-angeles-wildfires-dg/index.html
- Fire destroying property (Website) https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-11-16/fire-rips-through-hollywood-auto-parts-store
- Chart showing the damage (Website) https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-16/mapping-los-angeles-damage-from-the-eaton-and-palisades-fires-altadena-pasadena
- Firefighter trying to save a home (Photograph) https://www.wired.com/story/the-tide-could-finally-be-turning-against-the-la-fires/
