Los Angeles Wildfires: Dry weather, Santa Ana winds and other possible causes – what we know so far

The Los Angeles wildfires have killed at least 10 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, including the homes of celebrities like Paris Hilton, Adam Brody, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The major fires include the Palisades, Eaton, Sunset, Hurst, and Lidia fires.

Los Angeles Wildfires LIVE Updates

The Palisades Fire, located between Santa Monica and Malibu, and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena are among the most destructive in Los Angeles history. Together, they have burned over 34,000 acres, or roughly 53 square miles, reducing entire neighbourhoods to ashes.

The death toll from the Los Angeles wildfires currently stands at 10, but Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has warned that the number is likely to rise. “It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas. I don't expect good news, and we're not looking forward to those numbers,” he said.

How Los Angeles wildfires started

Climate change is increasingly delaying the onset of autumn and winter rains in parts of California, and in Los Angeles, the period since July 2024 has had the second-lowest rainfall in 150 years, reports have said.

Notably, last year, Southern California experienced severe flooding from heavy winter rains and storms. Drought spread through it after it witnessed one of the hottest summers and the driest rainy season. The CNN report stated that the plants that grew from last winter’s heavy rain dried up and became highly flammable, sparking wildfires that have spread uncontrollably across Los Angeles, fuelled by a rare windstorm.

Citing the National Weather Service, NASA Earth Observatory reported that strong Santa Ana winds and a lack of rainfall have created "critical" fire conditions in Southern California. While winds are common this season, the absence of rain has worsened the fire risk.

NASA added, “Since October, Southern California has received negligible rain, and according to climate scientist Daniel Swain, the region has experienced the driest start to the winter on record."

Giving an example, NASA stated that the Los Angeles airport recorded just 0.03 inches (0.08 centimeters) of rain since October 1 which is the beginning of the water year in California. It added that this made it the driest start to the water year in the region, based on National Weather Service records dating back to 1944.

According to a statement by Cal Fire, “The combination of low humidity, dry fuels, and shifting winds has heightened the potential for spot fires and rapid expansion.”

As reported by Reuters, before the fires, the US National Weather Service issued multiple alerts for the region, warning of high fire risk due to "critically dry fuels" like shrubs, grasses, palms, and hardwoods that were primed to burn.

According to fire management expert Lindon Pronto, since 1980, California's average temperature has risen by about 1 degree Celsius, doubling the number of days with dry vegetation vulnerable to fire, as reported by Reuters. This leads to more extreme fire behaviour throughout the year, including December and January. In addition to natural vegetation, Los Angeles' urban areas contain flammable materials like power lines, wooden telephone poles, and homes built with wood.

What sparked the raging wildfires

While lightning is the most common source of fires in the US, according to the National Fire Protection Association, investigators were able to rule that out quickly, as reported by the Associated Press. However, investigators have ruled out lightning, arson, and utility issues as causes of the current fires in Los Angeles. It added that no reports have been filed with the California Public Utilities Commission regarding electric incidents linked to the fires. 

(With inputs from AP and Reuters)