10:30 am – January 7, 2025
Brush fires are reported in hills above Palisades, Los Angeles.
6:00 pm
Palisades fire destroys neighborhoods – Eaton fire begins.
One week later
The Eaton fire has burned about 14,000 acres. The Palisades fire burned almost 24,000. 12,000 buildings are destroyed, at least 25 people have died. Damages are estimated to cost more than $134 billion.
Morning of January 22
Crews attempt to fully contain the Eaton and Palisades fires.
Hughes catches fire.
That night
The Sepulveda Fire breaks out.
Morning of January 23
The Sepulveda Fire has been controlled – but the Hughes fire has already burned at least 10,000 acres. It is a mere 14% contained.
January 30
Hughes fire is finally contained after burning nearly 10,500 acres.
January 31
Palisades and Eaton fires are declared 100% contained after 24 days.
February 3
Portions of the Palisades and Eaton communities have been permitted to return.
The Wildfires and Climate Change
The fact that wildfires have been making headlines recently is no coincidence. The conditions that caused the Los Angeles wildfires, such as high winds and dry vegetation, can easily be attributed to climate change. One quarter of the dry vegetation in LA was due to the environmental crisis.
This isn’t new. Between 2001 and 2020, wildfires spread 400% faster. Other natural disasters, such as Hurricane Helene in October which led to over 230 deaths in Florida, North Carolina, and several other states are getting more dangerous and common – and we have ourselves to blame. Even though countries have made plans to reduce global warming, our planet is still getting hotter, and we are nowhere close to achieving those goals.
Los Angeles wasn’t prepared to tackle these fires. At the moment, the United States is struggling to make plans and protect its citizens from the current effects of climate change. So how will world leaders team up to make plans they will actually follow through on, and shield the planet from the disasters of tomorrow, which will be undoubtedly worse?
The Wildfires, Climate Change and Us
To kids growing up in Southern California, wildfires are part of their reality. While we rest safely in our homes as we stare at numbers too big for us to understand, others are forced to evacuate, leaving their childhoods behind.
An estimated 7.4 million kids in the US are affected by wildfire smoke, many of them living in California. Wildfires, according to the World Health Organization or WHO, can cause long-term health effects such as heart, brain and lung disease, as well as memory loss and cognitive impairment. But the impact doesn’t stop at physical health. Such disasters are known to cause mental health conditions, as identified by the National Institutes of Health, such as climate anxiety, acute trauma, PTSD, depression, substance use, and can weaken academic performance and impair memory. All of which are disproportionately affecting teens. Several schools in Los Angeles have already been evacuated due to the wildfires, and many schools in the past have closed amidst the threat of poor air quality.
As climate change stimulates and intensifies these wildfires, kids are growing up with the threat of sudden disaster. The shocking headlines we attribute as “rare” are becoming common. Climate change will set us off course for our future wellbeing and success. For the kids of Southern California, it isn’t just about losing their homes anymore, it’s about losing their future.
If you are motivated to help those affected by the wildfires, donate money to trusted organizations such as American Red Cross, Save the Children and World Central Kitchen.
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The opinions stated in this article do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of the Wingspan staff as a whole.
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