Where are the Los Angeles fires still burning? Why are they so destructive? |Climate Crisis News

It's been more than a week since the Los Angeles wildfires have become the most destructive fires in California history and are on track to become one of the deadliest fires in the state's history.

The fires have so far destroyed at least 12,300 buildings and killed 24 people, according to local authorities.

Officials are preparing for more strong winds, which are expected to continue into Wednesday.

Where are the fires still burning in Los Angeles?

As of Tuesday morning, three of six major fires were still raging in Los Angeles County. They include:

• fence fire – 9,596 hectares (23,713 acres) burned, 14% contained.
• Eaton Fire – 5,713 hectares (14,117 acres) burned, 33% contained.
• Hurst Fire – 323 hectares (799 acres) burned and 97% contained.

The Kenneth, Lidia and Sunset fires are now 100% contained.

How serious were the Los Angeles fires?

The Los Angeles fire has burned 16,425 hectares (40,588 acres) so far. That's about the size of Washington, D.C., about half the size of Philadelphia, one-eighth the size of Los Angeles, or about the size of 30,000 football fields.

California typically experiences thousands of wildfires each year. These fires range from small brush fires to large, destructive fires that burn tens of thousands of hectares of land.

In 2020, California experienced the largest wildfires in its history. The August Complex fires were caused by lightning strikes and burned more than 400,000 hectares (1 million acres) across multiple counties. Dry weather and intense heat fueled the fires, which were not fully controlled until the end of October.

The following year, the Dixie Fire burned at least 380,000 hectares (960,000 acres) and destroyed 1,300 structures, including much of the Plumas County town of Greenville.

Although the two fires were about the size of the US state of Rhode Island, they killed only two people, largely due to early evacuation orders issued by authorities in the mostly sparsely populated area.

California's most destructive wildfires

The Palisades and Eaton fires are the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County history, destroying more than 10,000 structures as of January 14. California surpassed one fire in 2018 alone.

The fires occurred in California's densely populated Los Angeles County, unlike many larger fires in less populated areas.

The Palisade Fire ripped through the affluent Pacific Palisades community nestled between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, destroying at least 5,300 homes and forcing the evacuation of more than 100,000 residents, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The Eaton Fire also consumed much of the Altadena area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the east, destroying more than 5,000 structures.

AccuWeather estimates the fires could cause $135 billion to $150 billion in total damages and economic losses.

California's deadliest wildfires

In 2018, California's deadliest and most destructive fires killed 85 people. The Camp Fire, which broke out near the Butte County town of Paradise, was caused by a faulty power line. The fires consumed 62,000 hectares (153,000 acres) of land, destroyed nearly the entire town and burned more than 18,000 buildings.

The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning while many residents were sleeping and quickly engulfed the town, leaving them with little time to react and evacuate.

The second deadliest wildfire in California history was the Griffith Park Fire in Los Angeles on October 3, 1933. The fire killed 29 people, most of whom were workers clearing brush in the park when the fire broke out.

Of the 24 deaths recorded in fires so far, 16 occurred in the Eaton Fire in the foothills east of Los Angeles and the remaining eight were attributed to the Palisades Fire on the west side of town, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.