On January 7, 2025, a Santa Ana wind event struck Los Angeles County with winds up to 80 mph. This, along with drought conditions and warmer-than-typical temperatures, caused a massive wildfire that started in Pacific Palisades and then jumped to Lidia, Sunset, Eaton and Hurst. The largest fires in Eaton and Pacific Palisades are 0% contained and continue to spread as of January 9, 2025. Inadequate water supply for fighting fires in LA is also hampering containment efforts.
More than 427,000 customers have lost power, and more than 2,000 structures including homes, schools and businesses have been destroyed. About 130,000 people have been placed under evacuation orders as the fires have already engulfed 42 square miles in Los Angeles County, an area the size of San Francisco.
The blazes spread so quickly that many people fleeing their homes found the roads to be impassable and had to leave their cars to escape on foot. At least five people have died in what is being called the most destructive wildfire in California’s history.
You can support CDP’s response to wildfires in the state by donating to our California Wildfires Recovery Fund.
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s California Wildfires Recovery Fund supports communities across the state as they work to rebuild and recover from wildfires.
(Photo from County of Los Angeles Fire Department via X)
