Firefighters are in a desperate battle to control massive wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, leaving at least 10 people dead, destroying thousands of buildings, and displacing tens of thousands of residents. The fires, fueled by dry conditions and strong winds, have created a rapidly evolving crisis. The largest blaze, burning in the Pacific Palisades area, has scorched nearly 20,000 acres, making it the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. To put this into perspective, the affected area stretches as far as Clapham to Greenwich in London or covers vast portions of lower Manhattan and Queens in New York.
Across the Los Angeles area, five major fires continue to burn: the Palisades Fire, which has burned around 20,000 acres, destroyed over 5,300 structures, and forced more than 30,000 people to evacuate; the Eaton Fire, which has consumed approximately 13,690 acres, damaged or destroyed over 4,000 structures, and claimed five lives; the Hurst Fire, which has burned 770 acres; the Lidia Fire, which has scorched 394 acres; and the Kenneth Fire, which began Thursday afternoon and has so far burned 960 acres. Meanwhile, three smaller fires—the Woodley Fire, the Olivas Fire, and the Sunset Fire—have been successfully contained, burning 30, 11, and 43 acres respectively.
Over 10,000 structures have been destroyed by the Palisades and Eaton fires alone, with roughly 5,000 lost in each blaze. While much of the fire’s spread has occurred in uninhabited areas, its encroachment into populated zones has left entire neighborhoods at risk. Before-and-after aerial photographs vividly capture the devastation, showing areas once dotted with homes reduced to ash and rubble. Southern California’s weather has played a significant role in this unfolding disaster. Downtown Los Angeles has recorded only 0.16 inches (0.4 cm) of rain since October, creating exceptionally dry conditions. Adding to the peril, powerful Santa Ana winds, which flow east to west across southern California’s mountains, have fanned the flames. These winds lower humidity levels, drying out vegetation and turning small fires into raging infernos within minutes.
The Palisades Fire’s explosive growth highlights the severity of the situation. At 2:00 PM on Tuesday, it covered just 772 acres. Within four hours, it had tripled in size. It now spans nearly 20,000 acres, forcing thousands to evacuate as over 1,400 firefighters work tirelessly to contain it. Similarly, the Eaton Fire grew from 1,000 acres to over 13,000 acres in the same timeframe. The financial toll of these fires is staggering, with losses already expected to exceed $135 billion (£109.7 billion), making it one of the costliest wildfire disasters in U.S. history. Despite some hope, as fire weather conditions have been downgraded from “extremely critical” to “critical,” the lack of rain forecasted for at least another week leaves southern California vulnerable.
As the fires rage on, heroic efforts by firefighters and first responders continue to save lives and protect homes. Photographers have documented the heartbreaking destruction, but also the resilience of those affected. The road to recovery will be long, but Los Angeles has faced such challenges before and emerged stronger. Stay updated on the latest developments as the battle against these devastating fires unfolds.
