Fares soueid biography of rory

Natural disaster in the United States

Since January 7, 2025, an ongoing series of 23 catastrophic wildfires have affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and surrounding regions. The fires have been exacerbated by drought conditions, low humidity, and hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, which in some places have reached 100 miles per hour (160 km/h; 45 m/s). As of January 14, 2025^[update], the wildfires have killed at least 25 people,^[1][2] forced over 200,000 to evacuate, and destroyed or damaged more than 12,401 structures.^[3] Most of the damage has been done by the two largest fires: the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire in Altadena. They are likely the second and fourth most destructive fires in California's history, respectively.^[4]

Background

The windstorm and resulting fire danger was well-forecast. On January 2, the National Interagency Fire Center warned that conditions in Southern California fostered "above normal significant fire potential."^[5] That same day, local National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts noted the potential for intense fires and issued a Fire Weather Watch.^[6][7] On January 3, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) forecast a critical risk of fire weather that would occur on January 8, and by January 7, on the first day of critical fire weather in the area,^[8][9] the SPC forecasted an extremely critical risk for Fire Weather for January 8.^[10][11] Subsequent days since January 9 up to January 15 have had at least a critical fire weather risk issued for Southern California, with January 13–14 having back to back Extremely Critical Fire Risks.^[12][13]

For Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the NWS issued a red flag warning, denoting the most extreme fire danger, and calling it a "particularly dangerous situation" that threatened high risk to life and property.^[14][15] The warning emphasized that fires could rapidly grow because of powerful winds and low humidity. Southern California had become increasingly arid since late summer 2024, as storm systems predominantly affected the Pacific Northwest and Northern California instead, due to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) changing from El Niño to La Niña, which had emerged by January 2025 as a weak La Niña.^[16][17] By late December 2024, most of Los Angeles County had entered moderate drought status, creating heightened fire vulnerability due to desiccated vegetation in what was traditionally the region's wet season.^[18][19]

Drought

See also: Climate change in California

Dry vegetation exacerbated the dangerous conditions, with many parts of Southern California experiencing severe drought, the driest start to the rainy season on record, and the driest nine-month period on record before the start of the wind event and subsequent fires.^[20][21] According to a study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, climate change in the region has both increased temperatures and created volatility in rainfall levels.^[22]Droughts punctuated by periods of heavy rain, such as the rainy seasons in 2022–23 and 2023–24, result in the sudden growth of grasses, shrubs, and trees that rapidly dry out and remain as fuel for wildfires.^[23][24][25]

Climate change, according to research published in Environmental Research Letters, has made the hot and dry weather more likely to overlap with the offshore wind season, creating favorable conditions for wildfires.^[26][27] Lengthy dry seasons also reduced local water supplies and the number of safe days to carry out controlled burns—which reduce fuel before fire season starts—creating additional challenges for firefighting.^[27] A rapid climate attribution study conducted by researchers at the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace attributed the intensified fire conditions primarily to anthropogenic climate change with natural climate variability playing a minor role, after determining that meteorological conditions in the impacted areas exhibited marked differences from similar events occurring between 1950 and 1986. These included warmer temperatures of up to 5°C, precipitation decreases of up to 15%, increases of wind speeds by up to 5 km/h (roughly 20%), and urban temperature increases of up to 3°C.^[28]

Winds

The events included Santa Ana winds of exceptional intensity, with forecasted gusts reaching 50 to 80 miles per hour (80 to 130 km/h; 22 to 36 m/s) in populated areas of the Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including the San Gabriel Valley and the Los Angeles Basin which in prior wind events had been protected due to their lower elevations. Higher elevations were predicted to experience even more extreme conditions, with wind speeds anticipated from 80 to 100 mph (130 to 160 km/h; 36 to 45 m/s).^[18] As the jet stream crossed mountain ranges in Southern California from north to south, mountain waves developed, accelerating wind speeds as air descended into the Los Angeles Basin and other nearby lowlands.^[29][30]

The NWS Los Angeles office described the windstorm as potentially "life-threatening", predicting that winds would "accelerate to dangerous levels" beginning on the afternoon of January 7, and would last through early January 8 for Southern California. The NWS warned that the "destructive" winds would likely result in widespread power outages and downed trees.^[18] It predicted that it would be the region's "most destructive windstorm seen since 2011".^[31]

By the morning of January 7, the NWS reported wind speeds of 84 mph (135 km/h; 38 m/s) on Magic Mountain Truck Trail in Santa Clarita, 62 mph (100 km/h; 28 m/s) in Escondido Canyon and 55 mph (89 km/h; 25 m/s) at the Van Nuys Airport.^[32] The NWS reported at 6:19 p.m. that the windstorm could become Southern California's strongest wind event of 2025, especially in its valleys.^[33] The NOAA anticipated that wind speed would be between 35 and 50 mph (56 and 80 km/h; 16 and 22 m/s).^[34] Wind gusts were recorded at 100 mph (160 km/h; 45 m/s) on Mount Lukens in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains and at 98 mph (158 km/h; 44 m/s) in the Santa Monica Mountains.^[35][36]

On January 11, at 1:06 p.m. PST, the NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard office issued a red flag warning for most Los Angeles and Ventura counties effective from 6 p.m. January 11 to 6 p.m. January 15, citing the re-intensification of Santa Ana winds and continued dry humidity.^[37] The office also issued a wind advisory from 7:04 p.m. PST to January 12 at 2 p.m., predicting sustained 20 to 30 mph (32 to 48 km/h; 8.9 to 13 m/s) northeast winds with 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) gusts and isolated 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) gusts.^[38]

On January 12, the NWS announced a Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning from 4 a.m. on January 14 to 12 p.m. on January 15 for several regions in the Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The PDS warning was issued due to predicted damaging northeastern and eastern wind gusts between 55 to 70 miles per hour (89 to 113 km/h) with continued low humidity conditions, which the report stated could lead to "extreme fire behavior" and "long range spotting".^[39]

Other contributing factors

The budget for the Los Angeles Fire Department, one of several departments fighting the fires, was reduced by $17.6 million, or two percent, for the fiscal year 2024‍–‍2025. On December 4, 2024, LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said that the reduction has "adversely affected the Department's ability to maintain core operations" and that the $7 million reduction in overtime hours "severely limited the Department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies" and affected inspections of residences and brush clearance.^[40][41][42] After the budget was passed, another $111 million in pay raises and equipment was added, thereby increasing the operating budget from the previous year.^[43][44]

Prior to the first wildfires, the Santa Ynez Reservoir, a large 117,000,000 US gal (440,000,000 L; 97,000,000 imp gal) component of Los Angeles' water infrastructure located in the upper Pacific Palisades, had been completely emptied due to ongoing maintenance to repair a tear in its cover. The reservoir was scheduled to resume operations in February 2025. Former Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) General Manager Martin Adams stated that the repair operations had been going on "for a while", and that officials typically maintained lower water levels in the reservoir during winter months to prevent water stagnation and associated issues with chemical concentrations and bacterial growth.^[45]

Preparation

On January 6, California governorGavin Newsom stated he would delegate 65 fire engines, 7 helicopters, 7 water tenders, and 109 workers to fighting wildfires that arose.^[19]Mayor of Los AngelesKaren Bass warned residents that the windstorm could become one of the harshest in more than a decade, and cautioned them to avoid wind-downed power lines.^[46] As Bass was out of the country for the inauguration of Ghanaian president John Mahama,^[47] Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson filled in as acting mayor.^[48]

Southern California Edison, the area's primary electricity provider, proposed to cut off power to some customers to prevent faulty equipment from starting fires; officials anticipated that up to 400,000 of its 5 million customers could see power disruptions.^[18]San Diego Gas & Electric also stated that it would cut power before the onset of extreme weather.^[19]

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District stated that it would close all its schools in Malibu for January 7 "due to worsening weather conditions and safety concerns."^[19]Los Angeles Unified School District stated that it would temporarily move several Pacific Palisades schools and limit outdoor activities to protect against wind. Sections of Pacific Coast Highway were closed because severe winds threatened traffic.^[46]

In advance of the potential wildfires, all 114 tanks making up Los Angeles' water infrastructure were filled.^[49] The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) raised its National Preparedness Level to 2, allowing for the initial deployment of federal assets.^[50]

Lead-up

As the winds began to blow on January 7, the City of Los Angeles declared a state of emergency in anticipation of heightening winds. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) issued a dust storm warning for several counties in Southern California, warning that the harsh winds could blow dust and soil into the air, allowing it to be inhaled.^[51]

A news conference held by United States President Joe Biden in Coachella Valley to sign proclamations for the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument was cancelled due to excessive winds.^[32][52] Dozens of trees were downed throughout the San Gabriel Valley, including in Pasadena.^[32]

At midday, the event left more than 20,000 customers without power.^[53] For the third time in three months, Southern California Edison shut off power to certain areas to reduce the chance that electrical equipment might ignite additional fires. These preventative measures left thousands more without power.^[54][55]

Several flights were delayed due to the intensity of the winds, with pilots being warned not to fly close to terrain.^[53] The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a temporary stop to ground activities at the Hollywood Burbank Airport, following strong wind gusts forcing multiple go-arounds. Southwest Airlines diverted or cancelled several flights due to strong winds present at Ontario and Burbank airports.^[46]

List of wildfires

Wildfires

As of January 14, there are two notable fires burning throughout the region which have not yet been contained, with two smaller ones also aflame. A fifth significant fire, the Kenneth Fire, has been fully contained.

The extreme intensity of the windstorm (peak gusts were 100 mph (161 km/h) at the Mount Lukens Truck Trail in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains) coupled with dry vegetation due to prolonged drought conditions caused fires to spread rapidly, and airborne embers set spot fires far away.^[46][20]

Palisades Fire

Main article: Palisades Fire (2025)

The Palisades Fire ignited near the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, rapidly expanding to encompass 5,000 acres (2,000 ha; 7.8 sq mi; 20 km²). Officials ordered mandatory evacuations along sections of the Pacific Coast Highway and surrounding areas; the Westwood Recreation Center served as an emergency shelter.^[18][98] During midday, firefighters reported that strong winds were causing the fire to grow by "three football fields of land per minute".^[99] Immediate evacuation orders were issued for residents of Santa Monica living north of San Vicente Boulevard.^[100] At 12:12 p.m. PST on January 8, the City of Malibu urged all remaining residents to evacuate in the face of the uncontrolled fire.^[101] Evacuation orders were given for the LA neighborhood of Brentwood.^[46][102] Human remains were found in a destroyed house in Malibu during a welfare check.^[103][104] As of 11:26 a.m. PST on January 9, the fire had burned 17,234 acres (6,974 ha; 26.928 sq mi; 69.74 km²).^[98][105] On January 10, evacuation orders were extended into Tarzana and Encino in the San Fernando Valley.^[106]

Eaton Fire

Main article: Eaton Fire

Shortly after January 7 at 6:15 p.m. PST, a brush fire in Eaton Canyon in the Altadena–Pasadena region, dubbed the Eaton Fire, was first reported with an area of 20 acres (8.1 ha; 0.031 sq mi; 0.081 km²). According to Pasadena Now, residents next to the canyon told emergency services that a nearby electrical tower was on fire.^[107] By 7:12 p.m., the fire had grown to at least 200 acres (81 ha; 0.31 sq mi; 0.81 km²) in size. Los Angeles County Fire Captain Sheila Kelliher said the winds would continue to cause the fire to grow rapidly.^[108][109] Within six hours, the Eaton Fire had grown to 1,000 acres (400 ha; 1.6 sq mi; 4.0 km²). The Terraces at Park Marino evacuated 95 senior citizens, with images showing many in wheelchairs and wearing only gowns.^[100] Evacuations were later expanded in Pasadena and in northern Sierra Madre and Arcadia. The AltaMed Medical Center and several residences in Hastings Ranch were "engulfed in flames".^[55] By January 8 at 10:36 a.m. PST, the fire had grown to 10,600 acres (4,300 ha; 16.6 sq mi; 43 km²).^[110] At midday, the fire began to advance into residential zones of Pasadena. All of La Cañada Flintridge was ordered to evacuate.^[46] At least five people had died in the fire.^[111] In the afternoon of January 9, the Eaton Fire began to approach Mount Wilson.^[112]

Hurst Fire

Main article: Hurst Fire

At 10:10 p.m. PST on January 7, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that a 50 acres (20 ha; 0.078 sq mi; 0.20 km²) brushfire in northern Sylmar, dubbed the Hurst Fire, had a "rapid rate of spread", and instituted immediate evacuation orders for all areas north of the Foothill Freeway between Roxford Street and the Golden State Freeway–Antelope Valley Freeway split.^[113] At 1:47 a.m. on January 8, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) reported that the fire had grown to 500 acres (200 ha; 0.78 sq mi; 2.0 km²). By 9:40 p.m. PST, that night, the Hurst Fire had grown to 855 acres (346 ha; 1.336 sq mi; 3.46 km²).^[114] By 3:56 p.m. on January 9, CAL FIRE reported that the Hurst Fire had been 10 percent contained.^[115] By 8:19 p.m., the containment efforts had more than tripled, with 37 percent containment.^[67] The following day, the fire reached 70 percent containment.^[116]

Kenneth Fire

The Kenneth Fire was first reported on January 9 at 2:30 p.m. PST, igniting along a trailhead near Victory Boulevard in the West Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.^[117] The fire quickly grew to 50 acres (20 ha; 0.078 sq mi; 0.20 km²). Resources from both Los Angeles County and Ventura County were requested.^[118] Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the area from Vanowen Street south to Burbank Boulevard and from County Lane Road east to Valley Circle Boulevard. Additional evacuation warnings were ordered for areas east of Valley Circle and for parts of Oak Park.^[117][119] By 5:30 p.m. PST, the fire had grown to at least 960 acres (390 ha; 1.50 sq mi; 3.9 km²) and was approaching suburbs in Calabasas and Hidden Hills. Soon after, Newsom announced the deployment of 900 additional firefighters to the area.^[117] The cause of the fire is being investigated. Civilians detained a man whom they believed was trying to start a fire, and he was arrested by the LAPD. Police ultimately decided they did not have probable cause to detain him on suspicion of arson.^[120] The fire was 100% contained on January 12 after burning 1,052 acres (426 ha; 1.644 sq mi; 4.26 km²) of land.^[121]

On January 10, an evacuation warning was mistakenly issued for the entirety of Los Angeles County rather than an area specific to the Kenneth fire and was subsequently sent out to cellphones across the county as a wireless emergency alert message to nearly 10 million LA-area residents;^[122][123] County Supervisor Janice Hahn later confirmed that the alerts were accidental, with a follow-up correction alert being sent.^[124][125] On January 10, Los Angeles County suspended the use of Genasys in favor of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).^[126]

Other fires

• At 5 a.m. PST, a fire started in a homeless tent city within the Santa Ana riverbed and burnt down several makeshift residences and belongings, a recreational vehicle, and several vehicles. The fire grew to 1 acre (0.40 ha; 0.0016 sq mi; 0.0040 km²) before firefighters extinguished it, with no injuries reported.^[57]
• Firefighters responded to a separate blaze in the Hollywood Hills vicinity of Los Angeles City near Sunset Boulevard.^[18] The brush fire was extinguished shortly after it ignited.^[51]
• At 3:44 p.m. PST, a brush fire dubbed the Gulch Fire was reported to the north of Santa Clarita, close to Dry Gulch Mountainway and San Francisquito Canyon Road. The fire was held to 1 acre (0.40 ha; 0.0016 sq mi; 0.0040 km²) in area.^[127]
• At 5:28 p.m. PST, the King Fire was reported in Los Angeles near Ladera Heights, at oil derricks northeast of La Cienega Boulevard. A separate nearby fire was reported at 5:39 p.m. to the west of La Cienega Blvd. The fires were contained to 1 acre (0.40 ha; 0.0016 sq mi; 0.0040 km²) by 6:18 p.m.^[63]
• At 9:06 p.m. PST, the 1.5 acres (0.61 ha; 0.0023 sq mi; 0.0061 km²) Bert Fire was reported in Pasadena, which grew to 3 acres (1.2 ha; 0.0047 sq mi; 0.012 km²) by 9:16 p.m. Its blown embers produced spot fires that threatened nearby structures in the neighborhood.^[66]
• On January 8 at 3:03 a.m. PST, the Tyler Fire was reported in Coachella, Riverside County. The fire spread to 15 acres (6.1 ha; 0.023 sq mi; 0.061 km²) and destroyed two structures before its forward progress was held by firefighters.^[101]
• At roughly 6:15 a.m. PST, the Woodley Fire ignited and burned 75 acres (30 ha; 0.117 sq mi; 0.30 km²) near the Sepulveda Basin.^[101] It was revised to 30 acres (12 ha; 0.047 sq mi; 0.12 km²).^[128]
• The Olivas Fire was reported at 10:44 a.m. PST spreading along the coast of Ventura, Ventura County. The fire grew to 11 acres (4.5 ha; 0.017 sq mi; 0.045 km²), with one casualty reported.^{[73][129][130]}
• The Lidia Fire was reported at around 1:10 p.m. PST. The fire grew to 50 acres (20 ha; 0.078 sq mi; 0.20 km²) within an hour; by 8:06 p.m., it had grown to 348 acres (141 ha; 0.544 sq mi; 1.41 km²). Evacuation orders were issued for some areas near Acton.^[131]Metrolink halted service in the area.^[132]

• The Sunset Fire started in the Hollywood Hills near Runyon Canyon Park on January 8, 2025, at 5:39 p.m. PST. This fire resulted in officials issuing an evacuation order for the Hollywood Hills area, which included tens of thousands of people.^[133][134] By 8:21 p.m. PST, the fire had grown to 50 acres (20 ha; 0.078 sq mi; 0.20 km²).^[78] The following day, the fire was fully contained and evacuation orders were lifted.^[135] During the fire, there were concerns that the Hollywood Sign was at risk of being damaged.^[136] While the sign was unharmed by the fires, fake AI-generated images and videos showed the sign and the immediately surrounding area engulfed in flames.^[137] These images were primarily spread on the website X and other social media sites.^[138][139]
• The Sunswept Fire was reported by Los Angeles Fire Department at 8:52 p.m. in the 3000 block of North Sunswept in Studio City, Los Angeles.^[140] The fire began to burn a four-story home before it was extinguished by firefighters.^[141]
• On January 9, the Creek Fire was reported at 1:51 p.m. PST near Big Tujunga Creek. The fire grew to 1 acre (0.40 ha; 0.0016 sq mi; 0.0040 km²), with aircraft dispatched to combat the fire. At 3:05 p.m. PST, the fire ceased to grow, and firefighters were released to help elsewhere. As of 8:53 p.m. PST, the fire had grown to 3 acres (1.2 ha; 0.0047 sq mi; 0.012 km²) as fire activity increased.^[83]
• On January 10 at 10:25 a.m., the Archer Fire was reported in Granada Hills, Los Angeles. Firefighters stopped forward progress of the fire later that day, after the fire had reached 19 acres (7.7 ha; 0.030 sq mi; 0.077 km²). Mandatory evacuation orders were issued in the area and then lifted the same day.^[142]
• On January 13 at 7:45 p.m., the Auto Fire was reported next to the Santa Clara River in western Ventura County. It has engulfed at least 5 acres and is currently growing.^[143]

Impact

Over 179,000 people have been put under evacuation orders.^[123]

Deaths and injuries

As of January 14, 25 deaths were attributed to the wildfires.^[1] Out of the 25, 17 of the deaths were attributed to the Eaton Fire and 8 to the Palisades Fire.^[144] 67-year-old Anthony Mitchell and his son Justin Mitchell were both victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena. Both were found by Justin's bed, possibly due to Anthony attempting to save him.^[145] Several burn injuries were reported, and a 25-year-old firefighter suffered a "serious head injury".^[46] At about 9 p.m. PST, many burn victims walked towards Duke's Malibu restaurant, where they were then medically treated and transferred to hospitals.^[55] Rory Sykes, a 32-year-old British and Australian citizen with cerebral palsy, died of carbon monoxide poisoning during the Palisades Fire, which destroyed his cottage on his mother's Malibu estate. He was not initially counted among the death toll pending the discovery of his remains.^[146][147] His mother, Shelley Sykes, stated that failed emergency calls and the need to leave the property to alert firefighters delayed the response, blaming local infrastructure issues for the death. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna reported on January 9 that the scale of the number of fatalities would be better determined once canine and forensic searches could be thoroughly implemented.^[148][149]

Structural damage

Wildfire Alliance statistics indicated that the Palisades fire alone was by far the most destructive in the Los Angeles region, with at least 1,000 structures destroyed, surpassing the Sayre Fire, which destroyed 604 structures in 2008, and the Bel Air Fire, which destroyed nearly 500 houses in 1961.^[133][150] The Reel Inn, a 36-year-old seafood restaurant, was confirmed by its owners to have been destroyed in the Palisades Fire.^[100] The Palisades Charter High School was engulfed by the fire after the wildfire reached the site at roughly 4 p.m. PST. No one was in the school due to it being out for winter break. Vegetation and trees near the Getty Villa burned, with no structural damage being reported as of 5:20 p.m. PST, January 7.^[46]

On January 8, more than 9,300 structures were reported destroyed.^[111] The fire later spread to the Palisades Charter Elementary School.^[55] Several beachfront properties in Malibu were destroyed by the wildfire. Dozens of cars abandoned on highways during evacuations were completely burnt, with bulldozers having to force several vehicles out of the way for firefighters to access burning areas.^[101] The fires also destroyed the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center,^[151] the Masjid Al-Taqwa, and the Altadena Community Church.^[152] The Belmont Music Publishers company, owned by Larry Schoenberg, son of 20th-century classical composerArnold Schoenberg, was destroyed in the Palisades fire, resulting in the destruction of 100,000 Schoenberg-composed scores and letters, photographs, books, arrangements, and other Schoenberg memorabilia.^[153]

CBS News journalist Jonathan Vigliotti reported that "most everything is gone" in downtown Pacific Palisades aside from the local mall, and described the damage as "beyond comprehension". He also reported that embers from existing fires were being "blown more than a mile" by the severe windstorm and creating spot fires.^[154] The Malibu Feed Bin and Theater Palisades' Pierson Playhouse were destroyed in the Palisades fire.^[46] The Eaton Canyon Nature Center was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, resulting in the deaths of about fifteen lizards.^[155] On January 11, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that more than 12,000 buildings was threatened by the fires and that "It is expected that more than 5,000 structures have been destroyed".^[60]

Several celebrities' houses burned down in the wildfires, including the homes of Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes, Eugene Levy, Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, Adam Brody, Leighton Meester, Yolanda Hadid, Anthony Hopkins, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Miles Teller, Mel Gibson, Diane Warren, Ricki Lake, and Ed Harris.^{[156][133][157][158][159][160]} The historic home and ranch of humorist Will Rogers was also destroyed.^[161]

Economic impact

According to JPMorgan estimates published on January 9, the insured losses from the fires were projected to exceed $20 billion, which would set a new record for wildfire-related insurance claims in U.S. history. This figure would substantially surpass the previous record of $12.5 billion in insured damages set by the 2018 Camp Fire, as documented by Aon. A total economic loss of $50 billion was predicted by JPMorgan, which AccuWeather predicted could rise to $57 billion. JPMorgan noted that these figures could rise further due to the fires' continued spread and lack of containment.^[162][163] By January 12, damage cost predictions were estimated to be about $135 billion.^[164] The following day, AccuWeather updated their damage predictions to $250–275 billion, with the high number attributed to high housing costs in affected areas such as Malibu and Santa Monica.^[165] It was estimated that European reinsurance companies will also be impacted due to financial losses from wildfires, including Swiss Re, Hannover Re, and Société Commercial de Réassurance.^[166]

Housing

During the fires, LA-area landlords raised the cost of rent substantially by an average of 15–20%, with many rents almost doubling, causing many newly homeless to have difficulty finding somewhere to stay. This violated California price gouging laws, which prevented an increase of more than 10% during an emergency.^{[167][168][169]} Some hotels offered discounted rates for those displaced, while others price-gouged, increasing their rates substantially even for those who had already booked.^[169][170] The destruction of a large number of homes is anticipated to further strain the housing supply in Southern California.^[171]

Power outages

By the night of January 7, nearly 50,000 customers suffered power outages, 28,300 under the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and 21,699 under Southern California Edison (SCE).^[172] The number in the Los Angeles metropolitan area alone increased to over 200,000 by around 9:30 p.m. PST, with outages reported in Los Angeles, Glendale, Pasadena, and Burbank.^[46] SCE later stated that, at 4 p.m. PST on January 8, about 414,000 of its customers are without power and 454,000 customers are under a Public Safety Power Shutoff program watch.^[173] As of January 12, 2025, 35,000 customers were still left without electricity.^[174]

Air quality and health

Winds blew wildfire smoke across Los Angeles, leading to several "very unhealthy" air quality index readings of over 200, with the PM2.5 of the Harrison ES station reaching 184.1 µg/m³, or 36.8 times the annual World Health Organization guideline value.^{[46][175][176]} Air quality degraded to 569 µg/m³ in the region, representing the most hazardous category and necessitating avoidance of all outdoor activity.^[177]UCLA Healthpulmonologist May-Lin Wilgus expected LA residents to suffer from burning eyes and irritation due to the concentrated smoke, and urged residents with underlying health conditions such as COPD and asthma to avoid all outdoor activity and to close all doors and windows while running air conditioning. Los Angeles City Council president Marqueece Harris-Dawson reported that visibility had fallen below one block in Southern Los Angeles, and urged residents to avoid driving when possible.^[46]

The United States Department of Agriculture and the Los Angeles Department of Public Health warned that the wildfires can render some food in the nearby area unsafe to be eaten due to the smoke fumes and other chemicals.^[178]Carcinogens are common in smoke from urban fires and pose long-term health risks to those who inhale it, particularly firefighters without respiratory protection.^[179]

Wind damage

Hundreds of trees were reported to have fallen due to strong wind gusts during the accompanying windstorm. Roughly ten semi-trucks were blown over on a section of Route 210 close to Fontana. Multiple flights at Hollywood Burbank Airport were delayed or canceled due to strong winds.^[46]

School and other closures

At least 19 Los Angeles school districts announced school closures.^[180]Pepperdine University closed its Calabasas and Malibu campuses.^[101] All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District were closed on January 9 as a result of fire conditions and the destruction of two elementary schools.^[133] Later in the day on January 9, District Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho informed the media that schools would be closed January 10 and "would not resume until conditions improve."^[181][182]LVUSD schools were closed January 8–10 due to dangerous conditions and some of their schools being in voluntary or mandatory evacuation zones.^[183]UCLA announced that all classes would be online through January 17.^[184]

On January 7, NASA closed the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in nearby La Cañada Flintridge, California, through at least January 13 due to high winds and the encroaching Eaton Fire, forcing the evacuation of all non-emergency personnel at the site.^[185] The operations of the NASA Deep Space Network were relocated from the main facility to an off-site location and all employees were instructed to work from home.^[186][187] As of January 8, JPL director Laurie Leshin reported there has been minor wind damage and no wildfire damage at the site.^[188]

Entertainment and sports industries

Due to severe winds and fire danger, Amazon MGM Studios and Universal Pictures canceled the Hollywood premieres of Wolf Man and Unstoppable.^[172] Universal Studios closed its Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and Universal CityWalk.^[101] The 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards canceled a live announcement of its nominees, instead issuing the list in a press release.^[154] The 30th Annual Critics' Choice Awards, intended to be held on January 12 in Santa Monica, were postponed to January 26.^[189]The deadline for Oscar nominations voting was delayed to January 17, 2025 due to the fire.^[190] The premiere of the Under Ninja movie was cancelled due to the state of emergency,^[191] as was that of The Last Showgirl.^[192] Several Hollywood entertainment headquarters and production centers were shut down, postponing production of several shows and movies such as Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, NCIS: Origins, Hacks, Ted Lasso, Fallout, On Call,^[46][193]Doctor Odyssey, With Love, Meghan,^[194]Abbott Elementary, The Pitt,