Shortlysts
Posts
Officials Call Southern California Wildfires 'the Most Destructive in L.A. History'

Officials Call Southern California Wildfires 'the Most Destructive in L.A. History'

Officials are now calling the Southern California wildfires the most destructive in Los Angeles city history as fires expand more than 15,000 acres and forced more than 80,000 residents to evacuate.

Eric Moody
January 09, 2025

What Happened?

Officials on Wednesday are now calling the Southern California wildfires that forced more than 80,000 residents into evacuation, the most destructive in Los Angeles city history.

The fires forced Walt Disney Co. (DIS) to close its headquarters in Burbank, film studios to cancel two movie premieres, and many Hollywood stars to evacuate their homes, according to reports.

The Pacific Palisades fire that broke out early Tuesday morning has reportedly claimed the lives of at least two people, burned more than 5,000 acres, and destroyed over 1,000 structures.

Over 1.5 million customers were also reportedly without power in California Wednesday. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire burned through 3,000 acres in just hours.

The National Weather Service began warning 24 hours in advance of 'life-threatening and destructive' winds that sparked the severe wildfires.

President Joe Biden pledged on Wednesday to sign a federal emergency declaration after meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Newsom took to social media to state that California had deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel to combat the unprecedented fires.

Why it Matters

The fires now threaten key landmarks made famous by Hollywood, according to reports.

In addition to key landmarks, the blazes reportedly threaten key groundbreaking scientific research institutions.

In a series of posts, President-elect Donald Trump took a somewhat different approach on Truth Social Wednesday that addressed the wildfires and Gov. Newsom, one of Trump's biggest critics.

Trump referenced claims that Gov. Newsom 'refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California.'

He also suggested that 'in many circles, they’re doubting whether insurance companies will even have enough money to pay for this catastrophe.'

According to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, California’s wildfire season began earlier and will end later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change.

As a result, fires can reportedly burn through the winter months due to the lack of rain that usually ends the fire season.

Water scarcity director Mark Gold for the Natural Resources Defense Council told local reporters that Trump’s comments do not reflect California’s complex water supply systems.

'Tying Bay-Delta management into devastating wildfires that have cost people’s lives and homes is nothing short of irresponsible, and it’s happening at a time when the Metropolitan Water District has the most water stored in its system in the history of the agency,' Gold told Cal Matters. 'It’s not a matter of having enough water coming from Northern California to put out a fire. It’s about the continued devastating impacts of a changing climate.'

How it Affects You

Officials will monitor closely to prevent more casualties from the flames amid water and firefighting shortages.

President Biden has also warned that recovery 'is going to take time' as the historic incident grows more than 15,000 acres.

The results of this crisis will bear many heavy impacts which will certainly lead to important decisions from the incoming administration in less than two weeks.

Officials Call Southern California Wildfires 'the Most Destructive in L.A. History'

Officials are now calling the Southern California wildfires the most destructive in Los Angeles city history as fires expand more than 15,000 acres and forced more than 80,000 residents to evacuate.

What Happened?

Why it Matters

How it Affects You

Do you believe 'climate change' is to blame for the L.A. wild fires?

You may also like…