Since Jan. 7, 2025, the wildfires in Los Angeles, California have been causing widespread devastation, killing 27.
The fires have been spreading at a rate of 50 miles per hour through various arias of L.A. At its worst, the powerful winds have caused the fires to spread as high as 100 miles per hour, leaving homes, schools, and communities to ash and dust.
The cause of these fires is still unknown, however, there is speculation that some of the causes could be manmade. As of Jan. 12, 29 people were arrested in connection with criminal activity relating to the ongoing fires. The sheriff in the area stated that 25 of those members were arrested on the spot as those members were arrested. The other four member were seen walking on the Palisades fire evacuation zone, not knowing the police had arrested the other members.
The Palisades fires have burnt down 23,713 acres as of Jan. 20. The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that 4,996 structures have been destroyed and 707 damaged in total.
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Over 40,000 acres of land has been burnt down, as well, leaving the insurance companies such and banks such as JP Morgan to pay $50 billion in damages. However, the damages are still ongoing, so the insurance companies may end up paying over $80 billion when the fires are done spreading from county to county.
People online have spoken out about their outrage towards California politicians and the mayor of L.A., saying that the city was not prepared for the fires and the spread of them. Some people reported that they did not see any fire trucks coming for over 24 to 48 hours during the spread of the fires. Many others say that the governor and the mayor cut funds and water availability to the city, making the fire hard to stop.
However, many people also shared that the droughts in California and lack of rain contributed to the inability to contain the fires.
People took to social media to showcase live footage of evacuations, fire spreads, and the ongoing loss around them. Many influencers and celebrities had to evacuate and many lost their homes, as well.
Reality TV stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag regained popularity online after their home was completely lost in the L.A. fires. The two were on MTV’s The Hills in the early 2000s, but have since gone viral on social media due to their loss and sharing their story. In fact, Montag had an album in 2015 that has since gone viral and made it to #1 on the charts due to her husband’s TikTok videos trying to raise money for their family.
Currently, the fires seem to be contained in multiple counties and California weather reports rain to come. However, officials say this can increase mudslides and debris flows.