by Nicholas Valenzuela

Despite local law enforcement and firefighters’ fervent efforts, California wildfires continue ravaging the mountainside.

On January 7th, 2025, Los Angeles County experienced a daunting start to the new year with three separate wildfires raging in the area. The Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Hurst Fire started, with the Lidia Fire and Sunset Fire starting the next day, January 8th. 

According to CAL FIRE, The main wildfire right now is the Palisades Fire, which has burned more than 23,000 acres with 39 percent containment. The Eaton Fire also has 65 percent containment with more than 14,000 acres burned as of now. The Hurst, Lidia and Sunset fires have been contained at the moment.

As of January 8th at 7:00 PM, at least five people have passed away, and more than 1,000 structures including homes, shops and other buildings have been destroyed, according to the Associated Press. As of January 17th, the number of fatalities has risen to 24.

One of the major factors in the fires were the Santa Ana winds, as California received a sudden windstorm, spreading embers and fanning the flames of the fire. According to NBC Los Angeles, the gusts on the morning of January 8th were reaching 60 to 70 miles per hour with mountaintop winds reaching up to 100 miles per hour. 

The Santa Ana Winds are unique to the Los Angeles and Southern California area due to the geography of the local area. The reason is that the Santa Ana winds are katabatic. What that means is that high-pressure air from up high on the mountain starts to flow down the mountain, picking up speed, much like how an avalanche on a snowy mountain works.

California’s mountainous terrain has allowed the winds to become a dangerous factor in the wildfires. They are one of the reasons this area is known for wildfires, creating a perfect, deadly recipe for wildfires to spread quickly and ravage the area, just as they are doing right now.

Something that has affected everyone is the smoke from the fires. The thick smoke has spread rapidly in and around Los Angeles County, lowering the air quality of the entire Los Angeles area. 

The wildfires emergency has also caused controversy in its wake. According to Forbes, the Los Angeles City Mayor Karen Bass had cut funding to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) by $18 million. The reason there is controversy is because of Los Angeles and California’s history of wildfires in general. It comes off as an ill-informed move to cut the funding to the LAFD. There will most likely be more information about this in the coming weeks after the fire.

While the Mayor is under fire because of this PR nightmare, it’s important to remember to stay safe and to take precautions. While the fires may not directly impact everyone, the ash in the air is harmful to breathe in; if you must go outdoors when the air quality is low, wear a mask and stay safe.