Los Angeles, California has recently been blazing with fires. A red flag warning was placed on Los Angeles on Jan. 30, and ran until Feb. 12. This red flag warning is meant to alert LA citizens of the dangers of local wildfires. Many news articles say this red flag warning was particularly dangerous because it was human-sparked, likely by power lines or fireworks.
The area of most concern was Ventura County to Malibu on the west coast. Extremely strong winds from Santa Ana helped carry the flames from the recent fires in Los Angeles. A small fire started in Pacific Palisades, a small neighborhood east of Malibu. The blaze grew 23,448 acres before the California Department of Forestry declared this fire 100%. This small fire was the kickstart to a firestorm on the west coast of California. The Palisades Fire itself grew to inflame 23,713 acres and destroyed over 12,000 structures. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, a 14,021-acre fire broke out, destroying over 9,000 structures in the Eaton Canyon. Documents show that these recent fires are most likely the worst in history of California and the United States.
Unfortunately, the death toll remains at 29 victims from these monstrous fires including the destruction of more than 16,000 structures, the damage of over 50,000 acres and thousands of evacuations. Many family’s, neighborhoods, and communities are coming together to restore their lives from before these fires. There are donation pages, volunteering opportunities, and many other heart felt activities for those who lost their homes and loved ones.
Roberto Duncan Ph.D. Says, “From an economic perspective, the destruction of the LA wildfires has several dimensions. Damage from the fires will likely impact prices, the cost of living, employment, agriculture and the insurance markets of the LA area and the state of California.”
