On January 7th, the unspeakable happened…California lit on fire. Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, these beasts continued to swallow the Los Angeles area without mercy. People were dying while trying and save their possessions, as the area was brutally engulfed by fire. Not all of Los Angeles has been hit, but much of the area has been affected by the dense smoke and destruction of the landscape. More specifically, the fires have been divided into different sections of Los Angeles, the Easton Fires, the Huges Fires, and the Palisades Fires.
The Palisades Fires erupted first as a brush fire, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Cal Fire said, “the fire damaged or destroyed more than 6,800 structures.” Devastatingly not long after the Easton Fires ignited this was occurring. All the fire going to back-to-back overwhelming firefighters all over Los Angeles. Thankfully, 99% of the Palisades fires got contained but not without it exploding to 14, 021 acres.
Shortly soon after, the Huges Fires spread, covering about 10,000 acres before being contained. The intensity of these fires reached a never-before-seen amount. Fear spread in the hearts of the California people. It didn’t help that after these other little fires broke out in the area, although the big ones are now considered no longer active. California continues to witness the loss of as said by Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office “The 29th person died at a hospital from the Palisades Fire.” Not only that but 16,000 homes were destroyed and 200,000 people alone with nowhere to go.
But fortunately, food banks and shelters alike have come together to help the people experiencing the ashes of what their livelihood was. The California Fire Foundation has sent hundreds of Disaster Relief cash cards to support victims and evacuees. The California Fire Foundation brings sympathy to the disasters that have followed “We are Working to bring California back from the ashes, grantees are helping renew communities scarred by catastrophic wildfires — rebuilding lives and restoring hope for those who have lost so much.”
The big question California was left with was, with all California has experienced concerning fires in the past, what made this one so devastating? Research concluded that warmer temperatures, reduced precipitation or a changed rainfall season and longer fire seasons have dried out California’s landscapes, increasing the potential for ignition and rapid fire spread. Also considering the extended periods of drought that furthered the issue. But as to what or who started the wildfires is still under investigation. Furthermore, Los Angeles trying to rebuild has been a learning process but not without having to embrace the losses that come with it.
