On Tuesday, January 7th, at 10:30 am, The first of many fires started in the LA area. The Pacific Palisade Fire was the first fire and is now contained. The Palisade fire destroyed more than 6,800 structures and burned through 23,707 acres. More than nine fires broke out across LA destroying buildings and property, but seven of them were contained as of Friday, January 17th. The Eaton and Palisade fires took more time to be contained, but as of January 31st the Palisades fire and Eaton fire were both contained.
California is a hotspot for wildfires because of their dry, windy conditions and frequent droughts, but recently there were several fires, the biggest being the Palisades and Eaton fires. The Palisades fire was started by either arson, fireworks, rekindling of an earlier fire, or unauthorized camping. The Eaton fire’s cause is still under investigation, but officials are leaning towards a mix of dry grass and high-energy power lines. Several other small fires started across the LA area like the Hughes Fire, Kenneth Fire, Hurst Fire, Lidia Fire, and more. Also, there were 29 fatalities in all, and tens of thousands of citizens forced from their homes. Adriana Donodeo (9) is quoted saying, “The fires were dangerous and destructive. I hope the families that were close to the fires were able to evacuate, and once the areas from the fires are brought back, they are allowed to safely return to their home.”
These devastating fires across the LA area left people without homes, family members, pets, etc. But measures were taken during and after the devastating fires like debris removal/cleanup, rebuilding efforts, tax and mortgage relief, temporary housing, donations, and more.
