In Los Angeles, California, two significant wildfires began on January 7, 2025: the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. These fires spread rapidly in a densely populated area, ranking among the most destructive wildfires in the region. Research from World Weather Attribution (WWA), which includes the KNMI, indicates that climate change has heightened the risk of such events.
Risk of Wildfires
The risk of wildfires is highest in that region from July to September due to the drying of nature from high temperatures and dry air. Wildfires naturally occur here, and some species even require fire to survive.
The current wildfires are notable for the speed of their spread, driven by the dry and strong Santa Ana winds. These winds also complicated firefighting efforts. Santa Ana winds typically occur during the cooler months from October to March. Usually, the wildfire season ends when the first rainfall occurs between October and December after summer. However, since May 2024, almost no rain has fallen. As a result, grasses and shrubs remained dry and highly flammable in January. Additionally, the wet winters of previous years have led to significant growth, providing ample fuel during the recent dry period (see images).