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by Ava Schmidt
April 30, 2025
Palisades house destruction (Photo Credit: CNN)
The Los Angeles fires began on Jan. 7, 2025, and lasted for nearly a month when they subsided on Jan. 31. There were 14 fires in total that destroyed the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego County, burning around 12,000 homes and affecting 23,707 acres of land and wildlife. Nearly 30,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Thanks to LA Fire Department, firefighters from neighboring states and counties worked around the clock to contain the flames.
Tens of thousands of residents were displaced, but over a million donors across the states supported the residents, raising about $250 million on GoFundMe. Many donors donated items to nearby shelters, which included food, necessities, clothes, and money. As The New York Times reported, "Do you really want to live there? Then you better invest in way more hazard mitigation than you’re doing," said Margaret Walls, director of the Climate Risks and Resilience Program at Resources for the Future, "They aren’t really pricing the risks appropriately in California."
Many fire victims whose homes are still standing are fighting to keep them livable. The damage may not be a pile of ashes, but the impact is just as devastating. “You could smell it in the walls, in the air,” said Nicole Maccalla, a resident of Altadena, “But our insurance said unless something burned, they wouldn’t pay… It’s about our health, our kids’ safety, and our right to live in a home that isn’t slowly poisoning us.” Some insurers have refused to pay entirely, leaving residents burdened to pay for high-cost expenses.
LA has taught state and local governments to push for increased funding for fire prevention programs, such as improved evacuation planning and greater community awareness. As California is open to longer and more intense fire seasons, many residents are worried for their homes in the future, and are hoping for climate change and better forest management to prevent further disasters from happening.
Sources: NBC News, UCLA Anderson School of Management, and CNN
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