Southern California Is Still Burning: Updates About Los Angeles Wildfires

Since the last update on the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, it has grown to cover nearly 27 square miles and has already destroyed hundreds of structures, according to Cal Fire.

It was not contained at all as of late morning on January 9, along with the Eaton Fire, which has killed 10 people from both fires, burned more than 16 square miles, and destroyed almost 1,000 structures, too. The fires across the Los Angeles area put roughly 179,000 people under evacuation orders.

One man was arrested on suspicion of arson near Woodland Hills as soon as the Kenneth Fire erupted, according to KTLA. He was taken into custody after residents saw him allegedly attempting to ignite a fire. Other fires, such as the Sunset Fire, erupted on January 8 in Holywood Hills, prompting a new round of mandatory evacuations and threatening iconic landmarks.

By January 9, all evacuation orders for the Sunset Fire were lifted and the blaze had been stopped, according to fire officials. Meanwhile, the Hurst and Lidia fires burned at least 855 acres and 348 acres – the Hurst Fire was 10% contained, and the Lidia Fire was 40% contained as of January 9.

Climate change contributes to weather conditions that make wildfires longer and more intense, according to CBS News. “Fire weather” is created by hot, dry, and windy conditions, which make the Los Angeles landscape victims of extreme wildfires.

More fires have occurred in the past 13 years than in the previous 20 years, and fire events are up to four times the size and triple the frequency, according to a study funded by the National Science Foundation.

Retired Los Angeles County fire captain Bob Goldman told CBS News that the Los Angeles wildfires will “surpass anything we’ve seen in the past.”

He added: “It’s just unbelievable seeing fire being blown sideways like a blowtorch,” referring to the Santa Ana winds contributing to the wildfires.

The wildfires became so disastrous that Mayor Karen Bass urged Angelenos on social media to flee evacuation zones and announced her decision to declare an emergency. However, Bass was already far from Los Angeles as she had traveled to Africa to speak with key city agencies while the Palisades Fire erupted.

As she returned to the United States, Bass was brutally criticized for handling the fires in the city, according to The Los Angeles Times.

“Madam Mayor, have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today who are dealing with this disaster?” Sky News asked Bass, to which she did not reply to any of their questions. In that same video of the confrontation with the news organization, Bass avoided eye contact when she was asked about whether she needed to apologize to Angelenos for being in Africa – and whether she regretted reducing the Fire Department budget this year.

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