At the beginning of 2025, numerous major events have occurred, with the Los Angeles wildfires being one of them. Unprecedented strong winds have surrounded almost the entire Los Angeles County with wildfires! Multiple luxury homes and residences have been reduced to ashes, even the homes of many celebrities could not be saved. The Mayor of Los Angeles canceled his overseas trip, and President Biden rushed back from his visit to the Pope in Italy. Therefore, in this segment, let’s delve into the roots of the California wildfires, why they strike year after year, and why the situation is becoming increasingly dire.
First, let’s focus on the situation of the Los Angeles wildfires. As of January 11th, the fires are still burning, and we cannot predict when they will be contained, so the latest developments are continuously evolving. However, the disaster of the Los Angeles wildfires this time is actually the result of multiple fires occurring from January 7th to January 9th.
According to the map from the California Fire Department, Los Angeles County is dotted with wildfires of all sizes, totaling 101 wildfires burning. The main ones include the early-starting Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, which are the two largest fires in this disaster. Palisades is located between Santa Monica and Malibu on the west side, Eaton near Pasadena, and, in addition, the Hurst Fire to the north, the Lidia Fire, and the Kenneth Fire near the west have encircled the upper half of Los Angeles with wildfires.
Based on the Fire Department’s monitoring, the largest Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire are almost out of control, while the other three fires are already within containment limits, with Lidia Fire in the north being the most controlled.
In just a few days, these fires have already destroyed over 38,000 acres, with over 12,000 buildings destroyed. Ten deaths have been reported, and the number is likely to rise further. In terms of economic losses, it is estimated to be between $135 billion to $150 billion. According to the Fire Department, the causes of these fires are still under investigation. However, the rapid spread of wildfires is attributed to a dry season in the region that should have been moist, easily igniting, coupled with multiple wildfires being propelled by winds of up to 100 miles per hour, making the disaster uncontrollable!
Moreover, these fires are raging in the Hollywood film and television hub, and many celebrities’ homes are also affected by the wildfires. Especially in the Palisades Fire, the fire location is in the coastal luxury homes area of Malibu. Therefore, many celebrity properties have been consumed by the fires, with multi-million-dollar properties going up in flames instantly. Celebrities affected include Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, James Woods, Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore, and the list of affected celebrities continues to grow.
Let’s review the 2024 California wildfires. Last year, California saw around 8,000 wildfires, burning about a million acres, resulting in one death and roughly 2,000 buildings destroyed.
However, comparing last year’s relatively calm wildfire situation with the Los Angeles wildfires this year, it’s evident that 2024 was relatively peaceful. Shockingly, deaths were at their lowest in a decade. Nevertheless, the start of 2025 brought about a national-level major disaster unexpectedly.
In 2024, wildfires only started intensifying in the second half of the year. Abnormally wet winter and spring seasons led to lush vegetation, consequently becoming fuel for future wildfires. When the climate dried up by June, wildfires began erupting one after another.
Let’s observe the wildfire situation in various states in the United States over the past years. According to the Insurance Information Institute, around 85% of wildfires in the U.S. each year are caused by human activities, which may come as a surprise. But considering that even a small careless action can spark a massive wildfire, for example, a discarded cigarette butt or a camping flame reaching dry vegetation in a season of arid weather.
Furthermore, according to statistics, in 2023, California faced the most extreme wildfire risk properties in the country, nearly 1.3 million buildings, over 900,000 more than the second-highest state, Colorado. The critical situation in California indicates wildfires encroaching on densely populated urban areas. This poses concerns for housing supply issues and highlights the strict challenges in housing insurance, which could lead to more insurance companies withdrawing from California, leaving properties unprotected.
In terms of insurance losses, almost all of the top ten fire disasters in the United States have occurred in California, either in Southern or Northern California. The Marshall Fire, ranking ninth, occurred in Colorado, resulting in $2.5 billion in insurance losses.
The Camp Fire in Northern California in 2018 ranked first, with insurance losses of $10 billion, 85 fatalities, burning an area of approximately 57,000 hectares and destroying at least 18,000 structures.
However, based on the scale of the current Los Angeles wildfires, insurance losses are expected to surpass those of the Camp Fire, as many homes destroyed this time are high-value luxury residences, likely matching or exceeding the Camp Fire’s record numbers. Bloomberg analysts have estimated that insurance losses from the Los Angeles wildfires could reach billions of dollars. But before this, many insurance companies had already cleverly ceased offering new policies to local homeowners. For instance, actor James Woods previously shared on social media that a major insurance company canceled all policies in their community about four months ago.
Why does California always face wildfires, and why are they becoming increasingly severe, even leading to the creation of new terms such as firenado, gigafire, fire siege, and even fire epidemic, all describing the immense, nearly relentless onset of wildfires.
Summarizing the reasons California is prone to wildfires, firstly, extreme climate. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration believes that climate change, including rising temperatures, prolonged drought, and dry air, are key driving factors in the increased risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States in the past two decades. Several factors, including temperature, humidity, and the dryness of fuels like trees, shrubs, grass, and forest debris, play a crucial role in wildfire formation. These factors are closely related directly or indirectly to climate variability and climate change.
The Environmental Protection Agency also highlights that in recent decades, warmer spring temperatures, prolonged summers, and drier vegetation have extended the U.S. wildfire season, causing it to occur earlier. Additionally, higher-than-average rainfall during rainy seasons leads to lush vegetation growth, which becomes ample fuel for wildfires during dry seasons.
In other words, scientists suggest that California’s climate has become drier and hotter, resulting in unprecedented wildfires in the western U.S. from 2020 to 2022. The burn areas over these three years far exceeded the average of 1.2 million acres since 2016. This staggering amount left many wildfire managers astonished, as some large-scale fires burned for months, destroying entire communities, or erupted during nighttime high-wind periods, much like the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires, fueled by raging winds, swiftly enveloping almost the entire city in flames.
The second factor is human activities. Apart from natural causes, arson and electric line fires are among the reasons. An audit in 2022 revealed that utility companies fell short in fire prevention efforts, with Pacific Gas and Electric Company in Northern California being accused several times of poor maintenance leading to forest wildfires.
Improper forest management is the third factor. Former President Trump previously criticized the California government for not appropriately managing forests, where excessive dead vegetation becomes fuel for wildfires. He faulted the state government for failing to clear dry vegetation in forests, thereby hindering fire suppression. He even advised Governor Newsom to overlook environmentalist demands and promptly clean up forests, establish firebreak zones.
The lack of sufficient water sources in California is the fourth factor. In the months leading up to the current Los Angeles wildfires, Trump also criticized Newsom for sacrificing millions of gallons of Northern California water to protect a small, insignificant fish species, the delta smelt, which cannot alleviate California’s drought or aid during wildfires.
Unexpectedly, the Palisades Fire faced a crisis with dry fire hydrants, losing the chance for immediate rescue. Firefighters at the Eaton Fire also stated water pressure issues dried up some fire hydrants, forcing them to source water from ponds, pools, and other available water sources. Thus, many in the U.S. praised Trump as a “prophet” for his foresight. Nevertheless, Newsom, of course, blamed Trump for playing political games and denied any such reality.
Given California’s rampant annual wildfires, intensifying and encroaching on urban areas, Chinese friends living or considering living in California must pay attention to the wildfire risk associated with their homes. Especially as many insurance companies have been withdrawing from California or raising insurance premiums, this issue demands serious consideration.
Firstly, refer to the wildfire risk map established by the California Fire Department. The recent Palisades Fire was situated in a high-risk area, unexpectedly facing severe damage. However, the Eaton Fire on the east relatively falls in a less risky zone. Homes in high-risk areas might face insurance limitations, with the worst-case scenario being denial of coverage or increased premiums. Hence, it’s crucial to pay attention to this matter when buying, exchanging, or investing in housing. ◇